Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

RECEIVED

iS

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No.3088

Introduced by Representative GLORIA MACAPAGAL ARROYO

AN ACT
ESTABLISHING A COMPETITIVE GRANT PROGRAM TO RETAIN HIGHLY
QUALIFIED TEACHERS IN RURAL COMMUNITIES

EXPLANATORY NOTE
Article 2, Section 17, of the Constitution states:

“The State shall give priority to education, science and technology, arts, culture and
sports to foster patriotism, nationalism, accelerate social progress. And promote total
human liberation and development.”

Brain drain is a common phenomenon over the last several decades. It involves many of
our teachers who go abroad to seek greener pastures. As a result, we continue to lose
teachers in our schools and unnecessarily increase the burden of teaching the ever
growing number of our students to the teachers that actually stay. However, this
phenomenon does not only occur from our country to overseas. It is also happening from
our rural school to urban cities. Substandard facilities and even more substandard
communities make for additional burdens to our teachers who teach in rural areas.

Many of our teachers find it really hard to realistically make a career teaching in these
communities much less thrive in them. As such there is little incentive for the highly
qualified teachers to go and stay in rural schools. As legislators, we must acknowledge
the higher level of challenge presented in those areas and provided better incentives to
highly qualified teachers. It is not only our duty to provide education to our children in
those areas, but also to provide highly quality education, that they may be able to develop
into good citizens that will help their communities and our country.

Initially, we need to establish an incentive program that will entice our highly qualified
teachers to stay. A competitive program of grants to qualified provinces will not only
motivate the provinces to develop their programs for the rural community but likewise
allow us to focus the limited resources to the provinces that is in the position to make use
of the funds best.

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os NEFHES EON.

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This bill seeks to establish a program that will provide financial assistance to qualified
provinces in order to create an incentive system for highly qualified teachers who shall
commit to stay and teach for at least three years.

In view of the foregoing, | therefore enjoin my colleagues to ensure the immediate

passage of this bill into law.
Py a ARROYO

Second District, Pampanga


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No.3088

Introduced by Representative GLORIA MACAPAGAL ARROYO

AN ACT
ESTABLISHING A COMPETITIVE GRANT PROGRAM TO RETAIN HIGHLY
QUALIFIED TEACHERS IN RURAL COMMUNITIES

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

SECTION 1, Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the “Rural Teacher
Retention Act of 2016,”

SECTION 2. Definition. — For purpose of this Act, the following terms shall
mean:

A. “Child with a disability” means a minor who a physical, mental or medical
impairment resulting from anatomical, physiological, or neurological condition
that prevent the exercise of a normal bodily function or that substantially impair
cognitive function, and include but is not limited to, impairments requiring the
use of an artificial device to move, walk, see, hear or breathe, such as a
wheelchair, braces, respirator, or other supportive equipment, or use of a guide
dog or other guiding device, and which renders such person incapable of
adequately providing for his or her own health and personal care,

B. “Department” means the Department of Education

C. “Secretary” means the Secretary of Education

SECTION 3. Grant. - The Secretary shall carry out a 5-year pilot program under
which the Secretary awards grants, on a competitive basis, to not more than 10 different
provinces, to enable them to award salary bonuses to highly qualified teachers or highly
qualified special education teachers who teach, or commit to teach, for at leas 3
academic years in such institution.

SECTION 4. Basis. - The Secretary shall award grants under this section on the
basis of the needs of rural local educational agencies within a province for recruiting and
retaining highly qualified teachers or highly qualified special education teachers.

SECTION 5. Consideration of Needs. — In determining the needs of rural local
education agencies for recruiting and retaining highly qualified teachers and highly
qualified special education teachers under Section 5, the Secretary shall consider 1 or
more of the following:


A. The impact on a rural local education agency of low-income students who are
served by the rural local educational agency.

B, The on a rural educational agency of children with a disability who are served
by the rural local educational agency.

C. The long-term plans of province to improve the recruitment and retention of
highly qualified teachers and highly qualified special education teachers in rural
local educational agencies within the province.

SECTION 6. Application. - A province that desires to receive a grant under this
section shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and
accompanied by such information as the Secretary may require. The application shall
contain a plan for the proposed distribution and use of the grant funds among rural local
educational agencies within the province.

SECTION 7. Use of Funds. - Grant funds under this section shall be used to
provide salary bonuses for highly qualified teachers or highly qualified special education
teachers who teach, or commit to teach, for at least 3 academic years, in an elementary
school or secondary school serve by the same rural local educational agency.

SECTION 8. Study. - The Secretary shall carry out a study of each project that is
funded under this Act. The study shall track and assess the implementation and
effectiveness of each project.

SECTION 9. . —

A. ANNUAL REPORTS FROM PROVINCES ~ Each province receiving a grant
under this Act shall submit an annual report to the Secretary regarding each
Project within the State that is funded under this Act. The report shall contain
such information as the Secretary determines necessary to evaluate the
project.

B. REPORT TO CONGRESS - The Secretary shall submit a report the study
described in Section 8 to the appropriate committees in the Senate and in the
House of Representatives within 5 years from the effectivity of this Act which
include

1. the number of rural local education agencies assisted this Act;

2. the characteristics of such rural local educational agencies with respect to
the considerations of needs described in section 4(c);

3. the number and demographic characteristics of teachers receiving bonuses
under this Act;

4. the impact of the bonuses provided under this Act on the ability of rural local
educational agencies assisted under this Act to recruit and retain highly
qualified teachers and highly qualified special education teachers; and

5. such other information and analysis as the Secretary determines necessary
to evaluate the project.

SECTION 10. Appropriations. — The amount necessary for the initial
implementation of this Act shall be charged against the appropriations of the Department


of Education under the current General Appropriations Act. Thereafter, such sum as may
be necessary for its full implementation shall be include in the

SECTION 11. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part hereof, is held invalid
or unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall
remain valid and subsisting

SECTION 12. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance,
executive order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to or
is inconsistent with the provision of this Act is hereby repealed, modified, or amended
accordingly.

SECTION 13, Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after
its publication in least two (2) newspaper of general circulation

Approved,