@ Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH (18") CONGRESS
First Regular Session

1108

HOUSE BILL

Introduced by: Representative Jose L. Atienza, Jr.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Education in our country is perceived as a valuable gift from parents to their children
and the kind of education they receive from our educational system greatly contributes to
their future success. The Department of Education (DepEd) and since then, the learning of
our Philippine culture and arts has not been as in-depth as before. Aside from culture and
the arts, the sports development in the youth has also devolved into minor participation
during school intramurals and similar events.

This has also contributed to the current Filipino youth’s estrangement from our
cultural dances, traditional music, arts and crafts. Our artists have also found it difficult to
showcase their works now because there is no interest from the biggest segment of the
Philippine population, the youth. The number of professionals in the field of the culture
and the arts — traditional dancers, traditional musicians, painters, sculptors, and poets, has
dwindled. Furthermore, government support for our artists in the form of much-needed
funding is almost non-existent. They are able to continue in their craft and in showcasing
the Filipino cultural arts through the support of philanthropists.

Likewise, the state of sports in this country is very disappointing. We do not fare
well in international competitions. Most of our medals come from individual sporting
disciplines such as boxing, bowling, billiards, and ice-skating. It should not be a surprise
then that we have not been winning medals in team sports because since the DECS
devolved into the DepEd, the proper teaching of team sports to young students, is no longer
a priority in the majority of schools.

This bill seeks the restoration of the original functions of the DepEd back to the
Department of Education, Culture and Sports as it used to be. With the realization of this
measure, we shall have properly guided the youth towards the conservation of our rich
history and heritage, the promotion of arts and culture, the strengthening of their minds and
bodies, and molding them into the leaders and custodians of our country’s future.

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In view of the foregoing, the passage of this legislative measure is earnestly sought.

OSE\L. ATIENZA, JR.
tive, BUHAY Party-list


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH (18") CONGRESS

First Regular Session

House BILL No, 1208

Introduced by: Representative Jose L. Atienza, Jr.

AN ACT
STRENGTHENING THE CULTURAL AND SPORTS TRAINING OF THE
FILIPINO YOUTH BY RE-ORGANIZING THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
(DEPED) INTO THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, CULTURE, AND SPORTS
(DECS), APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR

Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress
assembled:

SECTION 1. Short Title. — This Act shall be known as the “Department of
Education, Culture, and Sports Act of 2019.”

SECTION 2. Declaration of State Policies. - This Act shall be anchored on the
following provisions from the 1987 Philippine Constitution:

(a) Section 13 of Article II states that “the State recognizes the vital role of the youth
in nation-building and shall promote and protect their physical, moral, spiritual,
intellectual, and social well-being. It shall inculcate in the youth, patriotism and
nationalism, and encourage their involvement in public and civic affairs”;

(b) Section 17 of Article II states that “the State shall give priority to education,
science and technology, arts, culture, and sports to foster patriotism and
nationalism, accelerate social progress, and promote total human liberation and
development”;

(c) Section 15 of Article XIV states that “arts and letters shall enjoy the patronage of
the State. The State shall conserve, promote, and popularize the nation’s
historical and cultural heritage and resources as well as artistic creations”;

(d)Section 18 of Article XIV states that “the State shall ensure equal access to
cultural opportunities through the educational system, public or private cultural
entities, scholarships, grants and other incentives, and community cultural centers,
and other public venues”; and


(ec) Paragraph (2) of Section 19 of Article XIV states that “all educational institutions.
shall undertake regular sports activities throughout the country in cooperation
with athletic clubs and other sectors.”

SECTION 3. Renaming of the Department of Education. — This Act shall enable
the Department of Education to revert to its previous and more complete name, the
Department of Education, Culture, and Sports (DECS), which reflects a renewed and
a more comprehensive approach of the department to the total development of the
Filipino Youth.

Section 6 of RA 9155 is hereby amended to read as follows:

“Section 6. Governance. — The Department of Education, Culture, and Sports
shall be vested with authority, accountability and responsibility for ensuring access
to, promoting equity in, and improving the quality of basic education WITH AN
EQUAL FOCUS ON Arts, Culture, and Sports.

SECTION 4. Bureau of Physical Education and School Sports (BPESS) —
Section 9 of RA 9155 entitled “ Abolition of the Bureau of Physical Education and
School Sports” is hereby repealed and again re-established under the Department of
Education, Culture, and Sports. The majority of the needed personnel for the BPESS
shall be outsourced from the Philippine sports commission.

SECTION 5. Functions of the BPESS. The Bureau of Physical Education and
School sports shall have the following function:

a. Develop the general fitness of elementary and high school students through sports
education

b. Promote social and cultural integration through the revival of indigenous games;

c. Identity and nurture sports talents and promote excellence in sports, traditional
games and other physical activities;

d. Ensure that every school will be teaching at least eight (8) kinds of sports to have
diversity and to allow young students to find the perfect sports for them;

e. Ensure that all schools participate and send student representatives to district-level
sports fest or fun games;

f. Conduct workshop for teachers on Sports Education and Sports Science;

g. Perform other functions as may be provided by law.

SECTION 6. Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR). - The present
Department of Education, shall promulgate the necessary rules and regulations for
the implementation of this Act within ninety (90) days after its affectivity. The IRR
for the re-establishment of the BPESS shall be formulated by the Department in
consultation with the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC);

SECTION 7. Appropriations. The necessary funds for the operations of these two
bureaus shall be annually allocated in the General Appropriations Act under the
budget of the incoming Department of Education, Culture, and Sports;


SECTION 8. Repealing Clause. ~ All laws, decrees, orders, rules and regulations
or other issuance or parts therefor inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are
hereby repealed and modified accordingly.

SECTION 9. Separability Clause — If any clause, sentence, paragraph or part of
this Act shall be adjudge by any Court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, such
judgement shall not affect, impair or invalidate the remainder of this Act, but shall be
confined in its operation to the clause, sentence, paragraph or part therefor directly
involved.

SECTION 10. Effectivity — This Act shall take effect fifteen (!%) days following

the completion of its publication either in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of
general circulation in the Philippines.

Approved.