FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHIUPPINES 
First Regular Session 
SENATE 
,.S.B. NO. 2532 
Introduced by SENATOR FERDINAND R MARCOS, JR 
Explanatory Note 
The Constitution mandates that the State shall protect and promote the 
right of all citizens to quality education at all levels, and shall take appropriate 
steps to make such quality education accessible to all, and shall also establish, 
maintain, and support a complete, adequate, and integrated system of education 
relevant to the needs of the people and society. (Sections 1 and 2, Article XIV, 
1987 Constitution) 
Likewise, the national policy expressed in Republic Act No. 9155 that, 
"Schools shall have a single aim of providing the best possible basic education 
for all leamers" (Section 2, R.A No. 9155), cannot be understated. The Act 
further appropriately defines "quality education" as, "the appropriateness, 
relevance and excellence of the education given to meet the needs and 
aspirations of an individual and society." (Sectioh 4 (k), RA. No. 9155) 
Pursuant to the constitutional and statutory mandates, the government 
should continuously improve and develop the quality of existing school systems 
in the country as to make them ',not only always attuned to the ever-rising global 
standards in the field of education, but also appropriate, relevant, and always 
excellent to meet the needs of the students. 
However, this notwithstanding, the government should also acknowledge 
and address the obvious differences in the relative competencies of the students 
in the country. It cannot be disputed that in every competitive setting, whether in 
work, school, or play, there will always be some who distinctly stand out and 
perform better than the rest This is all the more true in the school setting. 
Thus, the government should adopt measures to address the prolific 
aptitude and satiate the high educational demands of the best-performing 
stUdents in the country. The best-performing students need and deserve no less 
than the best of what our educati,onal institutions have to offer. This proposed bill 
proposes to require government to train its sights on, and pour its resources 
more into, the best-performing p'ublic schools in country, and ultimately upgrade 
and develop them to become schools with specialized, high-level and first-class 
methods of instruction, equipment and facilities, 
In pinpointing the best-performing schools in the country, data from the 
National Educational Testing and Research Center (NETRC) of the Department 
of Education (DepEd) may be credibly relied upon, The NETRC annually 
evaluates and assesses the overall performance of the students in their 
respective schools in the country. Aside from measuring the students' individual 


aptitudes, the Center also is able to cull from these individual results the 
respective schools' overall performance, through their Mean Percentage Scores 
(MPS) or, simply, the Achievement Rate. 
Considering budgetary constraints, the government can prudently start the 
maiden school development program on a regional basis. Through data from the 
NETRC, the DepEd can already select and prioritize the worthy schools to be 
covered by this proposed bill by selecting the top-ranking school in each region. 
For the same reason, the best students should likewise have access to 
best libraries. Hence, as a coordinate measure after identifying the schools to be 
developed, the existing public litiraries, in this case the "Library Hubs", which are 
being operated and managed by the DepEd, that are nearest and most physically 
and economically accessible to these schools by public transportation shall 
likewise be developed and upgra,ded into first-class public libraries. 
By the passage of this bill, the State will not only begin to address the 
special and high demands of the best students in the country, in the short term; it 
will also gradually improve and Upgrade the over-all quality of the public school 
system and libraries in the country in the long term. 
In view of thereof, the passage of this bill is earnestly requested. 
FERDINAN 
R. MARCOS, JR 


FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
. First Regular Session 
) 
) 
) 
SENATE 
SENATE BILL NO. 2532 
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ot:r:t{;\:' (,-
Introduced by Senator FERDINAND R. MARCOS, JR. 
AN ACT ESTABLISHING A NATIONAL FIRST-CLASS DEVELOPMENT 
PROGRAM OF PUBLIC ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS 
AND PUBLIC LIBRARIES AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, 
AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
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 "First-Class 
Public Schools and libraries Act of 201 0." 
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. - The quality of education 'In the 
country shall be constantly upgraded. In the case of public schools, their 
educational systems and facilities and public libraries shall developed and 
upgraded regularly in order to bE; at par with global standards, and appropriate, 
relevant, and always responsive to the needs of the students. 
However, consistent also with the policy to meet the relative needs and 
aspirations of the students, the State shall convert best-performing public 
elementary and high schools into first-class educational institutions. 
In 
determining the model schools for the first-class development program, the 
achievement rate of the public schools shall primarily be considered. 
SECTION 3. National School Development Program. - Consistent with 
its statutory mandate, objectives; and functions, the Department of Education 
(DepEd) shall pursue a continuing development program of the school system of 
the country as to make it globallY competitive, consistent with the rising global 
standards of education and the advancements in technology. 
SECTION 4. First-Class Public School Development Program. - There 
shall also be a first-class public school development program, whereby the best-
performing public elementary and secondary school of each region of the country 
shall be upgraded and converted into first-class schools, with the best and most 
advanced methods of instruction, equipment and facilities. 
In the determination and selection of the model school for every region to 
be made beneficiary of the regional first-class school development program, the 
average Mean Percentage Scores (MPS) or the "Achievement Rates" of the 
schools for the past five (5) years from effectivity of this Act, as computed by the 
National Educational Testing and Research Center (NETRC) of the DepEd, shall 
be exclusively used and considered as basis thereof. 


• 
The development program shall address all crucial factors for overall 
improvement of the model schools, such as, but not limited to, curriculum 
development, curriculum delivery, methods of instructions, materials, equipment 
and 
facilities, 
values 
and 
ethics, 
sports 
and 
extra-curricular activities 
development 
library, 
school 
management, 
teacher-training 
and 
faculty 
development, school environment, parental and community involvement, public 
accountability, and such other criteria as may be agreed upon by the First-Class 
Public School Development Committee. 
SECTION 5. 
First-Class Public School Development Committee. -
The DepEd is hereby mandated to form and convene a First-Class Public School 
Development Committee that shall undertake the following duties: 
1) Implement, manage, and administer the Program; 
2) Prepare 
a 
comprehensive 
and 
detailed 
plan 
for the 
overall 
improvement and upgrading of the model schools into first-class public 
school; 
3) Quality control over the procurement of materials and equipment, 
construction, and faculty and personnel employment of the first-class 
schools; 
4) Exercise control and supervision over the administrators, faculty, and 
non-teaching staff of tne first-class schools; 
5) Monitor and evaluate. the performance and consistency of the first-
class. 
The Committee shall be' composed of the following: the Secretary of 
Education, as the ex officio Chairman; one (1) representative each from the 
University of the Philippines-Integrated School, Ateneo de Manila University, De 
La Salle University-Greenhills, and University of Santo Tomas; and the Director 
of the National Library. 
SECTION 6. Development of the Nearest Library Hubs. - The DepEd 
Library Hub nearest and most p'hysically and economically accessible by public 
transportation to the model school for every region shall also be simultaneously 
upgraded and converted into first-class public libraries, with the best and most 
advanced materials, equipment and facilities. 
SECTION 7. Time Frame. - The DepEd shall immediately commence the 
first-class school and library dev"lopment and shall accomplish and complete the 
same within five (5) years from effectivity of this Act. Thereafter, the Committee is 
mandated to manage and maintain the model schools and libraries in the best 
shape and first-class condition, as provided in Section 5 hereof. 
SECTION 8. Continuing First-Class Development Program. - As far as 
practicable, the DepEd, through the Committee, may expand the program to 
cover other best-performing public schools in each region, in accordance with the 
provisions of this Act and its implementing rules and regulations. 
SECTION 9. Funding Sources. - Sources of funding or appropriations 
for this Act shall include the following: 
a) 
Yearly appropriations of no less than One Hundred Million Pesos 
(PhP100,OOO,OOO.OO) in the General Appropriations Act; 
b) 
Yearly contribution in the amount of five percent (5%) of the annual 
revenue of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation 
(PAGCOR); 


c) 
Yearly contribution' in the amount of five percent (5%) of the annual 
revenue of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO); 
d) 
Gratuitous financial assistance and donations from legitimate 
sources from the private sector and from government corporations, 
which shall be exempt from the donor's tax and the same shall be 
considered as allowable deductions from the gross income of the 
donor, in accordance with the provisions of the National Internal 
Revenue Code of 1997, as amended: Provided, That the allowable 
deductions shall bE! equivalent to one hundred fifty percent (150%) 
of the value of such donation; and 
e) 
Other government funds not otherwise appropriated. 
SECTION 10. First-Class Schools Trust Fund. - The DepEd, through 
the Committee, shall put into and manage a First-Class Schools Trust Fund all of 
the funds and monies collected from all the authorized funding sources under this 
Act, which Fund shall exclusivelybe used to finance the purposes and objectives 
of this Act. 
SECTION 11. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within six (6) 
months from effectivity of this Act, the OepEd shall promulgate the necessary 
rules and regulations for its proper implementation. 
SECTION 12. Separability Clause. - The provIsions of this Act are 
hereby declared to be separable,and if any clause, sentence, provision or section 
of this Act or its application thereof to any person or circumstance should, for any 
reason, be held invalid or unconstitutional, such invalidity or unconstitutionality 
shall not affect the other provisions or application of this Act which can be given 
force and effect. 
SECTION 13. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, charters, executive 
orders, administrative orders, proclamations, rules and regulations, or parts 
thereof insofar as they are inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby 
repealed or modified accordingly: 
SECTION 14. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days 
after completion of publication ',in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of 
general circulation. 
Approved,