Otter cilla TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES JUL 15 P1:43 First Regular Session SENATE RECEIVED EY S.B. No._ 629 Introduced by SENATOR WIN GATCHALIAN AN ACT MANDATING THE AUTOMATION OF A NATIONAL PUBLIC SCHOOL DATABASE EXPLANATORY NOTE Article XIV, Section 1 of the 1987 Constitution provides 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 education accessible to all." To this end, we seek the enactment of a law that will mandate the creation of a National Public School Database. The primary purpose of this measure is to promote easier and seamless access to education for the public by streamlining the enrollment process. The National Public School Database will serve as a mechanism to provide timely, relevant, and accurate information to school heads and teachers that will help them carry out their administrative tasks more efficiently. The National Public School Database also serves as a layer of protection for the safekeeping of learner records. Creating a database will provide a
storage mechanism for the school records of the 22.5 million learners enrolled in public schools as of School Year 2024-25.1 Physical documents are easily damaged or lost due to poor storage conditions, floods, fires, and other disasters. Storing learners' school records in a database ensures that these important documents are preserved and easily accessible. Finally, maintaining a national public school database will facilitate systematic monitoring of the records and progress of learners, which is vital to school assessment, planning, and the setting of operational targets. Thus, support for the immediate passage of this legislation is earnestly sought. WIN GATCHALIAN ' Data from the Department of Education.
Offer of t TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES First Regular Session JUL 15 P1:43 SENATE RICE DE: S.B. No. 629 Introduced by SENATOR WIN GATCHALIAN AN ACT MANDATING THE AUTOMATION OF A NATIONAL PUBLIC SCHOOL DATABASE Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:
Section 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Public School
Database Act".
Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is the policy of the State to establish
and maintain a complete, adequate, and integrated system of education relevant to the goals of national development. Toward this end, the government shall ensure the promotion of efficient access to both elementary and secondary education for the public.
Sec. 3. Coverage. - This Act shall apply to public schools in both
primary and secondary levels of the educational system.
Sec. 4. National Public School Database. - The Department of Education
(DepEd) is hereby mandated to develop, operate, and maintain a National
Public School Database that contains learner information, including but not limited to the following: (a) School grades; (b) Personal data; (c) Good moral record; and (d) Improvement tracking.
Sec. 5. Database Access. - School administrators shall be given access
to the National Public School Database containing learner records and other learner-specific data, such as exam scores, gradez levels, attendance, and immunization records, for the following purposes: (a) Recording biographical data for all learners; (b) Handling admissions and discharges; and (c) Transferring to other schools.
Sec. 6. Database Information Program. - The DepEd shall formulate a
Database Information Program to train educational professionals in the development and maintenance of the information in the National Public School Database.
Sec. 7. Illegal Use of the Database. - No person shall use, access, or
utilize the National Public School Database except for the purposes under Sec. 5 of this Act. The DepEd shall ensure the security and confidentiality of the information contained in the National Public School Database and that 26 processing of information and access to the same is in accordance with the provisions of Republic Act No. 10173 or the "Data Privacy Act of 2012".
Sec. 8. Penalties. - A penalty of imprisonment ranging from six (6)
months to one (1) year or a fine of not less than Ten Thousand Pesos (P10,000) 31 but not more than Fifty Thousand Pesos (P50,000) or both, at the discretion
of the court, shall be imposed on persons who knowingly and unlawfully alter, falsify or misuse learner information in the National Public School Database.
Sec. 9. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within sixty (60) days
from the effectivity of this Act, the DepEd shall issue the rules and regulations implementing its provisions. The Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) issued pursuant to this section shall take effect thirty (30) days after its publication in a newspaper of general circulation.
Sec. 10. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part of this Act is
11 declared invalid or unconstitutional, the remaining provisions or parts not affected shall remain in force and effect.
Sec. 11. Repealing Clause. - All other laws, executive orders,
presidential decrees, administrative orders, rules and regulations, issuances, or parts thereof contrary to or inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are 17 hereby repealed or amended accordingly.
Sec. 12. Effectivity. - Notwithstanding the non-issuance of the IRR, this
20 Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the Official Gazette 21 or in a newspaper of general circulation. Approved,