Amending Philippine Teachers Professionalization Act

TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE ) REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES JUL 14 P2:51 First Regular Session SENATE Senate Bill No. Introduced by Senator JOEL VILLANUEVA 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 EXPLANATORY NOTE Recognizing the undeniable impact of quality education to the development of the country and its citizens, the 1987 Constitution expressly declares as a policy that "[t]he State shall give priority to education, science and technology, arts, cuiture, and sports to foster patriotism and nationalism, accelerate social progress, and promote total human liberation and development."1 Furthermore, it is the State's responsibility to "protect and promote the right of all citizens to quality education at all levels" and to "take appropriate steps to make such education accessible to all."? Teachers play a crucial role in ensuring the fulfillment of such duty, characterizing them as a critical resource in education. In a 2015 Report, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cuitural Organization (UNESCO) cited several studies that revealed "positive associations between student achievement and teachers' academic skills, level of content knowledge, years of experience, and participation in content- related professional development opportunities. "3 Article II, Section 17 of the 1987 Constitution. Article XIV, Section 1 of the 1987 Constitution. UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Teachers and Educational Quality: Monitoring Global Needs for 2015, p. 67. Published in 2006. Available at https://uis.unesco.org/sites/defauit/files/documents/teachers-and-educational- quality-monitoring-global-needs-for-2015-en 0.paf (Accessed on 1 July 2025).

Given the evidence that student learning is highly impacted by teacher quality, it is therefore important to understand and leverage the qualities that make teachers effective in their roles so that students can benefit from a higher quality of education. Some notable teacher characteristics that have been recognized to affect the performance of students are "education background, experience, certificate status, leadership experience, perseverance, teacher evaluation score, preparedness course work. "s Over the past years, the Philippines performed poorly in international assessments such as the 2018 and 2022 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) administered by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD),6 the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) in 2019, and the Southeast Asia Primary Learning Metrics (SEA-PLM) in 2019.8 This was the case despite the introduction of various reforms in the education sector over the past decade. Furthermore, the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) identified higher education institutions (HEIs) with a consistent record of zero passing rates among their graduates who took the Board Licensure Examination for Professional Teacher (BLEPT. This includes 77 HEIs (4.92%) offering Bachelor of Elementary Education programs and 105 HEIs (4.46%) offering Bachelor of Secondary Education programs. A significant concern is that the average national passing rate for the Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET) has remained at a mere 30% from 2009 to 2019. It was only after the pandemic that the passing rate surpassed the 50% threshold. In 2024, among the 260,672 candidates who sat for the LET, only 140,329 successfully passed the examination. 10 4 UNESCO. The Impact of teacher knowledge on student achievement in 14 Sub-Saharan African countries, p. 7. Published in 2013. Available at https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000225832 (Accessed on 1 July 2025). 5 Journal of Education and Practice. Does Teacher Quality Affect Student Achievement? An Empirical Study in Indonesia, p. 35. Published in 2016. Available at https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1115867.pdf (Accessed on 1 July 2025). 6 DepEd. PISA 2018 National Report of the Philippines. Published in December 2019. Available at https://www.deped.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/PISA-2018-Philippine-National-Report.pdf (Accessed on 1 July); OECD. PISA 2022 Results (Volume I and II) - Country Notes: Philippines. Published in December https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/pisa-2022-results-volume-i-and-ii-country- notes_ed6fbcc5-en/philippines_a0882a2d-en.html (Accessed on 1 July 2025). TIMSS. International Results in Mathematics and Science, p. 9 & 80. Published in 2020. Available at https://www.iea.nl/sites/default/files/2021-01/TIMSS%202019-International-Results-in-Mathematics-and- Science.pdf (Accessed on 1 July 2025). 8 SEA-PLM. National Report of the Philippines, p. 11. Published in March 2021. Available at https://www.unicef.org/philippines/media/2556/file/Southeast%20Asia%20Primary%20Learning%20Metrics %202019%20National%20Report%20of%20the%20Philippines.pdf (Accessed on 1 July 2025). 9 EDCOM 2. Miseducation, The Failed System of Philippine Education, EDCOM II Year One Report, p. 179 Published in 2024. Available at https://edcom2.gov.ph/media/2024/02/EDCOM-II-Year-One-Report-PDF- 022924.pdf. (Accessed on 1 July 2025). 10 PRC. March 2024 Results of Licensure Examination for Professional Teachers Released in Forty-Seven (47) Working Days. Published on 24 May 2024. Available at https://www.prc.gov.ph/node/6903#:~;text= Examination%20eServices-,March%202024%20Results%20of%20Licensure%20Examination%20for%20Prof essional%20Teachers%20Released, %2DSeven%20(47)%20Working%20Days&text=The%20Professional%2 ORegulation%20Commission%20(PRC,and%20regulations%20governing%20licensure%20examinations.&tex t=N.%20C.%20R (Accessed on 1 July 2025); Rappler. RESULTS: September 2024 Licensure Examination for Professional Teachers. Published on 13 December 2024. Available at https://www.rappler.com/bulletin- board/examination-results/licensure-professional-teachers-september-2024/ (Accessed on 1 July 2025).

These results, among other factors and observations, reveal the necessity to introduce interventions in various aspects of education. Thus, to contribute to the overall improvement of the quality of education in the country, this measure proposes the following amendments to the present framework under Republic Act No. 7836, as amended, or the "Philippine Teachers Professionalization Act of 1994:" a) Expand the pool of nominees to the Board of Professional Teachers under the PRC to include nominees from the Teacher Education Council (TEC); Department of Education (DepEd); Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations (COCOPEA); Commission on Higher Education (CHED); Association of Local Colleges and Universities (ALCU); and Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges (PASUC), in addition to those nominated by an accredited association of teachers and an association of teacher education graduates; Ensure the avoidance of conflict of interest of board members for Professional Teachers through the issuance of appropriate rules by the PRC; Improve and expand the qualification requirements of all applicants for registration as professional teachers and mandate the need to undergo a refresher course for applicants who have failed to pass the component/s of the examination of the PRC in the past three (3) years; and Mandate the release of the examination questions and the information on the examiners to the public. These amendments are aimed at ensuring that the State implements improvement to the overall quality of education in the country by elevating the teaching profession and producing world-class and excellent educators. For these reasons, the passage of this measure, which has been studied and endorsed by the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM Il), is earnestly sought. Креми JOEL VILLANUEVA 9

TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES JUL 14 P2:51 First Regular Session ) RECH SENATE Senate Bill No. Introduced by Senator JOEL VILLANUEVA 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 House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Section 5 of Republic Act No. 7836, or the "Philippine Teachers

Professionalization Act of 1994," as amended, is hereby amended to read as follows: "SEC. 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 SHALL DULY POSSESS ALL THE QUALIFICATIONS PRESCRIBED IN

SECTION 8 OF THIS ACT 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, who duty possess all the qualifications prescribed in

Section 8 of this Act] FROM THE TEACHER EDUCATION

COUNCIL (TEC); DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION (DEPED); COORDINATING COUNCIL OF PRIVATE EDUCATIONAL ASSOCIATIONS (COCOPEA); COMMISSION ON HIGHER EDUCATION (CHED); ASSOCIATION OF LOCAL COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES (ALCU); PHILIPPINE ASSOCIATION OF STATE UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES (PASUC); AN ACCREDITED ASSOCIATION OF TEACHERS; AND AN ASSOCIATION OF TEACHER EDUCATION GRADUATES. A SCREENING COMMITTEE SHALL BE FORMED TO EVALUATE THE NOMINATIONS RECEIVED AND THE FINAL LIST OF NOMINEES SHALL BE MADE PUBLIC. The and the vice- chair [man]PERSON chair[man]PERSON 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, as amended, is hereby amended to

read 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 Board under this Act shall hold office according to the following terms: one (1) member shat 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 EMPLOYEES OR OFFICIALS OF GOVERNMENT AGENCIES SHALL BE SECONDED TO THE COMMISSION FOR THE DURATION OF THEIR TERM. Vacancies shall be served for the unexpired term only. No person who has served

AS MEMBER OF THE BOARD for two (2) consecutive terms shall be eligible for reappointment. 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, as amended, is hereby amended to

read as follows: "SEC. 8. Qualifications of Board Members. - Each Board member must at the time of [his] appointment: (a) xxx (b) xxX (c) Be a holder of [the degree of Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science in Education and] AT LEAST A MASTER'S DEGREE, preferably [a holder of a master's or doctorate degree in education,] HOLDING A DOCTORATE DEGREE, IN EDUCATION, or their equivalent[s], from a university, school, college, academy, or institute duly constituted, recognized, and/or accredited by the Philippine government; (d) xxx (e) Has been a REGISTERED AND LICENSED professional teacher in the active practice of the teaching profession for at least ten (10) years [in the elementary and secondary level]; and (f) Not be an official or member of the faculty of, nor have A pecuniary interest in any university, college, school, or institution conferring a bachelor's degree in education or its equivalent [s for at least three (3) years prior to his appointment], and 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.

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. THE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD SHALL ALSO HAVE THE NECESSARY EXPERTISE IN IMPLEMENTING TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAMS THAT ARE OFFERED BY THE TEC AND REGULATED BY THE CHED, TEST DEVELOPMENT AND ANALYSIS, AND LOGISTICS IN IMPLEMENTING WIDE-SCALE ASSESSMENTS AND SYSTEM ACCREDITATIONS. THE COMMISSION SHALL ISSUE THE APPROPRIATE RULES TO GOVERN THE PRACTICE OF MEMBERS OF THE BOARD TO ENSURE THAT NO CONFLICT OF INTEREST ARISES IN THEIR FUNCTIONS RELATED TO THE CONDUCT OF THE LICENSURE EXAMINATION AND RELEASE OF THE RESULTS."

SEC. 4. Section 9 of Republic Act No. 7836, as amended, is hereby amended to

read as follows: "SEC. 9. Compensation of the Board. - The chair[man]PERSON, vice-chair[man]PERSON, and members of the Board shall receive compensation comparable to the compensation received by existing regulatory boards under the [Professional Regulation] Commission, computed on the basis of the number of examinees/candidates."

SEC. 5. Section 12 of Republic Act No. 7836, as amended is hereby amended to

read as follows: "SEC. 12. Removal of a Board Member. - The chair[man]PERSON or any member of the Board may be removed by the President of the Philippines upon recommendation of the Commission for neglect of duty, incompetence, TERMINAL ILLNESS, unprofessional, unethical, immoral or dishonorable conduct, commission or [toleration]

TOLERANCE of irregularities in the examination, OR FINAL JUDGMENT OF CRIMES INVOLVING MORAL TURPITUDE, after having been given the opportunity to defend [himself] ONESELF in a proper administrative investigation. In the course of THE investigation, the President may preventively suspend the respondent."

SEC. 6. Section 13 of Republic Act No. 7836, as amended, is hereby deleted in

its entirety and replaced with the following: "SEC. 13. REGISTRATION AND LICENSE. - APPLICANTS FOR REGISTRATION AND ISSUANCE OF A PROFESSIONAL LICENSE FOR TEACHERS SHALL BE REQUIRED TO COMPLY WITH THE FOLLOWING, AS THE CASE MAY BE: a) A WRITTEN EXAMINATION TO BE GIVEN AT LEAST ONCE A YEAR IN SUCH PLACES AND DATES AS THE BOARD MAY DETERMINE UPON APPROVAL BY THE COMMISSION SHALL BE REQUIRED FOR GRADUATES OF EDUCATION PROGRAMS, AS PROVIDED IN SECTION 15 OF THIS ACT AND GRADUATES OF NON-EDUCATION PROGRAMS WHO HAVE COMPLETED 18 UNITS OF CERTIFICATION IN PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION (CPE); b) SUBMISSION OF A PORTFOLIO OF ATTAINMENT OF THE TEACHING PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS FOR GRADUATES OF TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAMS ACCREDITED BY THE TEACHER EDUCATION COUNCIL IN LIEU OF TAKING THE WRITTEN EXAMINATION; OR SUBMISSION OF A TEACHING EXPERIENCE c) PORTFOLIO FOR THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN TEACHING IN HIGH-LEVEL BASIC EDUCATION AND TERTIARY EDUCATION PROGRAMS. THE

COMMISSION, THE TEC, AND THE CHED SHALL PROVIDE THE APPROPRIATE GUIDELINES FOR THE ASSESSMENT, EVALUATION, AND EQUIVALENCY OF PRIOR TEACHING EXPERIENCE, INCLUDING THE REQUIRED NUMBER OF YEARS OF TEACHING EXPERIENCE."

SEC. 7. Section 14 of Republic Act No. 7836, as amended, is hereby deleted in

its entirety and replaced with the following: "SEC. 14. SCOPE OF EXAMINATION. - THE EXAMINATIONS FOR TEACHERS SHALL BE GIVEN SEPARATELY BY PROGRAM, ALIGNED WITH THE RELEVANT PROGRAMS, STANDARDS, AND GUIDELINES ISSUED. THE EXAMINATIONS SHALL INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING COMPONENTS: a) TEACHER PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS; b) TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAMS OFFERED BY THE TEC AND REGULATED BY THE CHED; AND c) EXISTING CURRICULUM OF BASIC AND CHILD CARE EDUCATION. THE EXAMINATIONS MAY INCLUDE A PRACTICAL COMPONENT AS A SUPPLEMENT TO WRITTEN EXAMINATIONS. GRADUATES FROM NON-EDUCATION PROGRAMS SHALL BE ABLE TO CHOOSE THEIR EXAMINATION PROGRAM REGARDLESS OF BACHELOR'S DEGREE. IN CASE OF FAILURE IN THE EXAMINATION BY THE AFOREMENTIONED EXAMINEES, CONTENT COURSES IN THEIR CHOSEN SUBJECT SHALL BE REQUIRED BEFORE THEY CAN RETAKE THE EXAMINATION."

SEC. 8. Section 15 of Republic Act No. 7836, as amended, is hereby further

amended to read as follows:

"SEC. 15. Qualification Requirements of Applicants. - No applicant shall be admitted to take the examination unless, on the date of filing of the application, [he] THE APPLICANT shall have complied with the following requirements: (a) xxx (b) xxx (c) XXX (d) xxx (e) [A graduate of a school, college or university recognized by the government and possesses the minimum educationat qualifications, as follows: (1) For teachers in preschool, a bachelor's degree in earty childhood education (BECED) or its equivalent; (2) For teachers in the elementary grades, a bachelor's degree in elementary education (BSEED) or its equivalent; (3) For teachers in the secondary grades, 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 eighteen (18) units in professional education; and (1) 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 professionat education.] A GRADUATE FROM A TEACHER EDUCATION INSTITUTION DULY RECOGNIZED BY THE CHED, AND POSSESSES THE MINIMUM EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS PURSUANT TO TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAMS OFFERED BY THE TEC AND REGULATED BY THE CHED, OR EQUIVALENT PROGRAMS OR OTHER PROGRAMS AS MAY BE DETERMINED BY THE CHED, WITH AT LEAST EIGHTEEN UNITS IN PROFESSIONAL (18) EDUCATION;

(F) APPLICANTS WHO FAILED TO PASS COMPONENT/S OF THE EXAMINATION IN THE PAST THREE (3) YEARS SHALL BE REQUIRED TO COMPLETE A REFRESHER COURSE FOR THE FAILED COMPONENT IN A CHED-RECOGNIZED TEACHER EDUCATION INSTITUTION BEFORE BEING ALLOWED TO RETAKE THE EXAMINATION."

SEC. 9. Section 16 of Republic Act No. 7836, as amended, is hereby amended

to read as follows: "SEC. 16. RELEASE OF QUESTIONS AND Report of the Results of the Examination. - THE BOARD SHALL, NOT LATER THAN FORTY-EIGHT (48) HOURS AFTER THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE EXAMINATION, RELEASE TO THE PUBLIC THE QUESTIONS AND INFORMATION ON THE EXAMINERS. THE BOARD SHALL FORM A TESTING BOARD EVERY YEAR, TO CONSIST OF REPRESENTATIVES FROM VARIOUS ACCREDITED TEACHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS. THE EXAMINATION SHALL BE VALIDATED THROUGH A THIRD-PARTY ASSESSMENT BEFORE AND AFTER ADMINISTRATION. ITEM ANALYSIS IS RECOMMENDED TO BE DONE AFTER THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE EXAMINATION. The Board shall, within one hundred twenty (120) days after the examination, report the ratings obtained by each candidate BY EXAMINATION COMPONENT to the [Professional Regulation] Commission for approval and appropriate action. THE BOARD SHALL ALSO RELEASE THE LICENSURE EXAMINATION PERFORMANCE OF TEACHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS, WITH A TEN (10)-YEAR TRACK RECORD ANALYSIS, AS PROVIDED BY THE CHED, THROUGH APPROPRIATE ADMINISTRATIVE ISSUANCES FOR

DISSEMINATION TO THE PUBLIC INCLUDING POSTING OF THE SAME ON THE OFFICIAL WEBSITES OF THE COMMISSION AND OTHER GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, AND PUBLICATION IN NEWSPAPERS OF NATIONAL CIRCULATION IN SUCH PERIOD AND FREQUENCY AS THE BOARD SHALL DETERMINE. TEACHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS SHALL, UPON RELEASE OF SCHOOL EXAMINATION PERFORMANCE, ALSO MAKE PUBLIC THEIR LICENSURE EXAMINATION PERFORMANCE, WITH A TEN (10)-YEAR TRACK RECORD ANALYSIS, THROUGH PLACEMENT IN THREE (3) CONSPICUOUS PLACES ACCESSIBLE TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC, INCLUDING THE SCHOOL WEBSITE AND SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS, IF AVAILABLE. NO UNDUE PROMOTION OR ADVERTISEMENT SHALL BE ALLOWED FOR REVIEW CENTERS AND SIMILAR ENTITIES FOR PURPOSES OF TAKING CREDIT FOR THE PERFORMANCE OF APPLICANTS WHO TOOK THE LICENSURE EXAMINATIONS FOR TEACHERS, AND SUCH CREDIT SHALL BE ATTRIBUTED SOLELY TO THE TEACHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS WHERE THE APPLICANTS GRADUATED."

SEC. 10. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within sixty (60) days

from the effectivity of this Act, the Commission shall promulgate the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) necessary for the full and effective implementation of this Act.

SEC. 11. Policies and Issuances. - The Commission and the Board shall

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

SEC. 12. Separability Clause. - If any portion or provision of this Act is

declared unconstitutional, the remainder hereof or any provisions not affected thereby shall remain in force and effect.

SEC. 13. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance,

executive order, letter of instruction, rule, or regulation inconsistent with the provisions of this Act is hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

SEC. 14. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its

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