Amending R.A. No. 7836 (Philippine Teachers Professionalization Act)

Sentat Offier of the for latp 25 AUG 14 P2:48 TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES First Regular Session RECEIVED BY: SENATE S. No. 1191 Introduced by Senator Manuel "Lito" M. Lapid FURTHER AMENDING REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7836, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE "PHILIPPINE TEACHERS PROFESSIONALIZATION ACT OF 1994", AS AMENDED BY REPUBLIC ACT NO. 9293 EXPLANATORY NOTE Republic Act No. 7836, as amended by Republic Act No. 9293, governs the licensure and regulation of the teaching profession in the Philippines. Since its enactment, major reforms such as the K to 12 Program, the Philippine Professional Standards for Teachers (PPST), and the strengthened Teacher Education Council (TEC) have transformed the education sector, necessitating updates to the law. This bill seeks to modernize the Philippine Teachers Professionalization Act to align the law with the present situation and challenges to the teaching profession. One of the objectives is to broaden the representation in the Board for Professional Teachers (BPT). Under this bill, nominees will come from DepEd, CHED, TEC, ECCDC, ALCU, PASUC, and COCOPEA to ensure diversity, transparency, and sectoral balance. This bill likewise updates the qualifications for board members by providing for higher educational, experience, and integrity standards, and clear rules against conflict-of-interest. This bill further seeks reform on the licensure examination for teachers including the guidelines for the preparation of the questions, the requirements for the examinees, and the release of results.

This bill also makes mention of specialized fields in teachings to guide our government agencies on the specific needs and standards required in each discipline. By aligning teacher licensure and regulation with present-day standards, this measure seeks to ensure that Filipino teachers are better prepared, highly competent, and fully equipped to meet the demands of the ever-changing education system. In view of the foregoing, the immediate passage of this bill is earnestly sought.

doffice of the enre AUG 14 • P2:48 TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE ) REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) First Regular Session RECEIVED BY SENATE S. No. 1191 Introduced by Senator Manuel "Lito" M. Lapid AN ACT FURTHER AMENDING REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7836, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE "PHILIPPINE TEACHERS PROFESSIONALIZATION ACT OF 1994", AS AMENDED BY REPUBLIC ACT NO. 9293 Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:

Section 1. Section 5 of Republic Act No. 7836 is hereby amended as follows:

"Section 5. Creation and Composition of the Board. - There is hereby created under this Act a Board for Professional Teachers, hereinafter called the Board, a collegial body under the general supervision and administrative control of the Professional Regulation Commission, hereinafter referred to as the Commission, composed of five (5) members, who duly possess all the qualifications prescribed in Section 8 of this Act, as amended, and who shall be appointed by the President of the Philippines from among the recommendees chosen by the Commission. (The recommendees shall be chosen from the list of nominees selected by the accredited association of teachers] THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION (DEPED); COMMISSION ON HIGHER EDUCATION (CHED); TEACHER EDUCATION COUNCIL (TEC); EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE AND

DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL (ECCDC); ASSOCIATION OF LOCAL COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES (ALCU); PHILIPPINE ASSOCIATION OF STATE UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES (PASUC); AND COORDINATING COUNCIL OF PRIVATE EDUCATIONAL ASSOCIATIONS (COCOPEA) SHALL EACH RECOMMEND NOT MORE THAN TWO (2) NOMINEES WHO SHALL BE EVALUATED BY THE COMMISSION BASED ON [who duly possess] all the qualifications prescribed in Section 8 of this Act, as amended. THE FINAL LIST OF NOMINEES SHALL BE PUBLISHED IN A NEWSPAPER OF GENERAL CIRCULATION AND POSTED IN THE COMMISSION'S OFFICIAL WEBSITE. The chairperson and the vice-chairperson of the Board shall be appointed from these five (5) members by the President: Provided, That the members of the first Board appointed under this Act shall be automatically registered as professional teachers and issued with the certificate of registration and professional license upon payment of the fees for examination, registration, and other fees prescribed by the Commission."

Sec. 2. Section 7 of Republic Act No. 7836 is hereby amended as follows:

"SEC 7. Term of Office. - The members of the Board shall hold office for a term of three (3) years from the date they assume office. [:Provided, That the first appointees to the Beard under this Act shall hold office according to the follewing terms: one (1) member shall serve for one (1) year; one (1) member for two (2) years; the chairman, vice chairman, and one (1) member for three (3) years.] MEMBERS OF THE BOARD WHO ARE OFFICIALS OR EMPLOYEES OF GOVERNMENT AGENCIES SHALL BE SECONDED TO THE PROFESSIONAL REGULATION COMMISSION FOR THE DURATION OF

THEIR TERM SUBJECT TO EXISTING CIVIL SERVICE RULES AND REGULATIONS. Vacancies shall be served for the unexpired term only. No person who has served AS A MEMBER OF THE BOARD for two (2) consecutive terms shall be eligible for reappointment, provided that appointment to fill an unexpired term shall be considered an appointment to a complete term." the chairman or any member shall take his oath of office prior to the performance of his duties.}

Sec. 3. Section 8 of Republic Act No. 7836 is hereby amended as follows:

"Sec. 8. Qualifications of Board Members. - Each Board member must at the time of his or her appointment: a) Be a citizen and resident of the Philippines; b) Be at least thirty-five (35) years of age, of proven integrity, and possessed of high moral values in his or her personal as well as professional conduct, and has not been convicted of any offense involving moral turpitude; e.) Be a holder of the degree of Bacheler of Arts of Bachelor of Science in Education and preferably a holder of a master's or doctorate degree in education, or their equivalents, from a university, school, college, academy or institute duty constituted, recognized and/or accredited by the Philippine government; C) BE A HOLDER OF AT LEAST A MASTER'S DEGREE OR DOCTORATE DEGREE IN TEACHER EDUCATION OR OTHER ALLIED DISCIPLINES, FROM A UNIVERSITY, OR EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION DULY CONSTITUTED, RECOGNIZED, AND/OR ACCREDITED BY THE PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT;

d) Be a professional teacher with a valid certificate of registration and valid professional license, save those members who shall compose the first Board for Professional Teachers; e) Has been a professional teacher in the practice of the teaching profession for at least ten (10) years in the EARLY CHILDHOOD, elementary and secondary levelS, OR IN THE TERTIARY LEVEL AS A FULL TIME FACULTY IN AN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION DULY AND/OR CONSTITUTED, RECOGNIZED, ACCREDITED BY THE PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT; and f) Not, AT TIME OF APPOINTMENT, an official or member of the faculty of, nor have pecuniary interest in any university, college, school, or institution conferring a bachelor's degree in education or its equivalents NOR (neither connected with a review center or with any group or association where review classes or lectures in preparation for the licensure examination are offered or conducted, NOR HAVE PECUNIARY INTEREST IN SUCH. Provided, however, That, the membership to the Board shall be evenly distributed to cover all levels of education, including equitable representation of the different fields of specialization.] PROVIDED, THAT ANY BOARD MEMBER SECONDED FROM A TEACHER EDUCATION INSTITUTION (TEI) SHALL HAVE LIMITED PARTICIPATION IN THE TEST DEVELOPMENT PHASE OF THE LICENSURE EXAMINATION CYCLE, AS DETERMINED BY THE COMMISSION: PROVIDED, FURTHER, THAT THE COMMISSION MAY ISSUE ADDITIONAL RULES AND

GUIDELINES TO STRENGTHEN SAFEGUARDS AGAINST ACTUAL OR PERCEIVED CONFLICTS OF INTEREST IN THE PERFORMANCE OF THE BOARD'S DUTIES: Provided, FURTHER, that the membership to the Board shall be evenly distributed to cover all levels of education, including equitable representation of the different fields of specialization: PROVIDED, FINALLY, THAT THE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD SHALL ALSO HAVE THE NECESSARY EXPERTISE IN IMPLEMENTING TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAMS THAT ARE PRESCRIBED BY THE TEC AND REGULATED BY CHED, TEST DEVELOPMENT AND ANALYSIS, AND LOGISTICS IN IMPLEMENTING LARGE-SCALE ASSESSMENTS AND SYSTEM EVALUATION."

Sec. 4. Section 13 of Republic Act No. 7836 is hereby further amended as

follows: "SEC. 13. Examination, Registration and License Required. - {Except as otherwise specifically allowed under the provisions of this Act,] UNLESS OTHERWISE PROVIDED BY LAW, all applicants for registration as professional teachers shall be required to undergo a [written] LICENSURE examination which shall be given at least once a year in such places and dates as the Board may determine upon approval by the Commission. A valid certificate of registration and a valid professional license from the Commission are required before any person is allowed to practice as a professional teacher in the Philippines, UNLESS OTHERWISE PROVIDED BY LAW OR PURSUANT TO GUIDELINES ISSUED BY THE PRC IN CONSULTATION WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND THE TEACHER EDUCATION COUNCIL fexcept as otherwise allowed under this Act].

Sec. 5. Section 14 of Republic Act No. 7836 is hereby further amended as

follows: "Sec. 14. Scope of Examination. — The examinations in the elementary and secondary school teachers shall be separate.] The examination for teachers in the EARLY CHILDHOOD, SPECIAL NEEDS AND EDUCATION, elementary, SECONDARY levels shall (be separate) and consist of THE FOLLOWING parts namely: professional education, general education, and/OR field of specialization, AS APPLICABLE. THE EXAMINATION SHALL BE ALIGNED WITH THE FOLLOWING: 1) PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS FOR TEACHERS; 2) TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAMS OFFERED BY TEC AND REGULATED BY CHED; AND 3) EXISTING CURRICULUM OF BASIC, EARLY CHILDHOOD, OR SPECIAL NEEDS EDUCATION, AS APPLICABLE. THE EXAMINATION FOR GRADUATES OF CERTIFICATES IN TEACHING PROGRAMS SHALL ONLY CONSIST OF PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION.

Sec. 6. Section 15 of Republic Act No. 7836, as amended by Section 1 of

22 Republic Act 9293 is hereby further amended as follows: "Sec. 15. Qualification Requirements of Applicant. - No applicant shall be admitted to take the examination unless, on the date of the filing of the application, the shall have] THEY SHALL HAVE complied with the following requirements: a) A citizen of the Philippines or an alien whose country has reciprocity with the Philippines in the practice of the teaching profession;

b) At least eighteen (18) years of age; c) In good health and of good reputation with high moral values; d) Has not been convicted by final judgment by a court for an offense involving moral turpitude; e) A graduate from a [school, college, or university) TEI DULY recognized by CHED [the government) and possesses the minimum educational qualifications as follows: 1. For teachers in preschoolf the early childhood level, a bachelor's degree in early childhood education (BECED) or its equivalent; 2. FOR TEACHERS IN THE SPECIAL NEEDS LEVEL, A BACHELOR'S DEGREE IN SPECIAL NEEDS EDUCATION (SNED) OR ITS EQUIVALENT; 3. For teachers in the elementary level, a bachelor's degree in elementary education (BSEED) or its equivalent; 4. For teachers in secondary level, a bachelor's degree in education or its equivalent with a major and minor, or a bachelor's degree in arts and sciences with at least ten (10) units in professional education; and 5. For teachers of vocational and two-year technical courses, a bachelor's degree in the field of specialization or its equivalent, with at least eighteen (18) units in professional education. 6. OTHER APPLICABLE FIELDS OF SPECIALIZATION WITH QUALIFICATIONS AS

DETERMINED BY THE COMMISSION, IN COORDINATION WITH THE TEC. f) HAS COMPLETED A REFRESHER COURSE IN RECOGNIZED TEIS FOR APPLICANTS WHO FAILED TO PASS THE LICENSURE EXAMINATION THREE (3) TIMES. AN APPLICANT TAKING A REFRESHER COURSE SHALL BE GIVEN A MAXIMUM OF TWO (2) YEARS BEGINNING THEIR INITIAL ENROLLMENT TO COMPLETE THE REFRESHER COURSES AND A MAXIMUM OF THREE (3) YEARS FROM COMPLETION OF THE REFRESHER COURSE WITHIN WHICH TO TAKE THE EXAMINATIONS. PROVIDED, THE CERTIFICATION OBTAINED BY THE REFRESHER MAY ONLY BE USED FOR TWO (2) EXAMINATIONS. REFRESHER COURSES ARE SUBJECT FOR REVIEW BY THE TEC. g) HAS RECEIVED A CERTIFICATE OF AFFIRMED BEGINNING CAREER STAGE ISSUED BY TEC, WHICH IS BASED ON A SUBMITTED PORTFOLIO OF EVIDENCE OF ATTAINMENT OF THE EXPECTATIONS OF THE PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS EXISTING IN ANY GIVEN TESTING YEAR. PROVIDED, THAT GRADUATES OF CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS WILL ALSO RECEIVE A CERTIFICATE OF AFFIRMED CAREER STAGE BUT WILL BE ASSESSED ONLY ON APPLICABLE EXPECTATIONS OF THE PREVAILING PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS. PROVIDED, FURTHER, THAT THE TEI SHALL ASSESS THE PORTFOLIO USING STANDARDIZED RUBRIC DEVELOPED BY THE TEC, TO ENSURE

CONSISTENCY AND OBJECTIVITY ACROSS INSTITUTIONS. TO SUPPORT THE ATTAINMENT OF THIS REQUIREMENT, THE TEC SHALL: 1. DEVELOP AND PRESCRIBE THE STANDARDIZED RUBRICS FOR THE PORTFOLIO ASSESSMENT, ENSURING ALIGNMENT WITH NATIONAL TEACHING STANDARDS AND COMPETENCIES. 2. ESTABLISH AND IMPLEMENT A ROBUST QUALITY ASSURANCE FRAMEWORK TO MONITOR AND EVALUATE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF PORTFOLIO ASSESSMENTS ACROSS ALL TEIS, ENSURING THAT THEY COMPLY WITH PRESCRIBED RUBRICS AND MAINTAIN HIGH ASSESSMENT STANDARDS. 3. BUILD THE CAPACITY OF TEIS TO CONDUCT EFFECTIVE PORTFOLIO ASSESSMENTS, PROVIDING TRAINING, SUPPORT, AND RESOURCES TO FACULTY MEMBERS INVOLVED IN THE EVALUATION PROCESS. 4. PROVIDE PERIODIC REVIEWS AND UPDATES TO THE PORTFOLIO ASSESSMENT SYSTEM, ADAPTING TO EMERGING TRENDS IN TEACHER PREPARATION AND ENSURING CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT IN THE ASSESSMENT PROCESS.

Sec. 7. Section 16 of the same Act is hereby amended to read as follows:

"Sec. 16. RELEASE OF THE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS; AND REPORT OF THE Examination Results. - THE

LICENSURE EXAMINATION QUESTIONS AND CORRESPONDING ANSWERS SHALL BE RELEASED BY THE COMMISSION TO THE TEC WITHIN FIVE (5) DAYS AFTER THE DAY OF ADMINISTRATION OF THE EXAMINATION. Further, the Board shall, within one hundred twenty (120) days after the examination, report the ratings obtained by each candidate IN EACH COMPONENT to the Commission for approval and appropriate action. THE COMMISSION SHALL ALSO MAKE PUBLIC THE LICENSURE EXAMINATION TEST QUESTIONS AND THE EXAMINERS' IDENTITIES WITHIN FIVE (5) DAYS AFTER THE DAY OF ADMINISTRATION OF EXAMINATION, AND THE PERFORMANCE OF TEIS IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE RELEASE OF EXAMINATION RESULTS.

Sec. 8. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within One Hundred Eighty

(180) days from the effectivity of this Act, the Commission shall update its implementing rules and regulations necessary for the full and effective implementation 19 of this Act.

Sec. 9. Transitory Provision. - The Commission and the Board shall update its

existing policies and issuances relevant to this Act and ensure its alignment with the same within a period of six (6) months from the effectivity of this Act and report the same to Congress on the first year of its implementation.

Sec. 10. Separability Clause. - If, for any reason, any section or provision of

this Act or the application of such section in provision to any person in circumstance is declared unconstitutional or invalid, no other section or provision of this Act shall be affected thereby.

Sec. 11. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, circulars, administrative orders,

rules and regulations, and other issuances which are inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

Sec. 12. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect after fifteen (15) days following

its complete publication in the Official Gazette or a newspaper of general circulation. Approved,