House passes bill establishing an open high school system

The House of Representatives has approved on third and final reading a bill
establishing the open high school system in the Philippines to provide an alternative mode
of a formal secondary education program for elementary school graduates and high school
dropouts.
Rep. Kimi Cojuangco (5
th
istrict! Pangasinan"! author of the bill and chairperson
of the House Committee on #asic $ducation and Culture! said the measure %ill ensure the
accessibility of education services to all &ilipino citi'ens in its various modalities
including out(of(school study programs for primary and secondary levels! particularly
those that respond to community needs! promoting further the %elfare of the nation.
)The measure %ill provide e*ual opportunity for adults and children of high school
age %ho are out of school to avail of free open high school education through the distance
learning modality!+ Cojuangco said.
The main authors of House #ill ,-.5! to be /no%n as the 0pen High 1chool
1ystem 2ct are Reps. 3eptali 4on'ales 55 (6one istrict! 7andaluyong City" and 8inston
Castelo (9
nd
istrict! :ue'on City".
4on'ales said an 0pen High 1chool 1ystem (0H11" is a system of delivering
educational services to high school students utili'ing print! radio! television and computer(
based communications! satellite broadcasting! teleconferencing! and other multi(media
learning and teaching technologies that allo% students to study on their o%n %ithout
having to regularly attend classes in conventional classrooms.
)The 1tate declares its policy to broaden access to relevant *uality education
through the employment of an alternative learning system that %ould enable the youth!
including adults! to overcome geographical! socioeconomic and or physical constraints to
encourage them to complete secondary education!+ 4on'ales said.
The measure shall establish an 0pen High 1chool 1ystem (0H11" as part of the
epartment of $ducation;s (ep$d" alternative secondary education program.
<nder the bill! all youths and adults %ho have finished elementary education as %ell
as high school *ualifiers under the Philippine $ducational Placement Test (P$PT" are
covered by the proposed system.
The measure shall adopt the 3ational 1econdary $ducation Curriculum (31$C"
using the Philippine 1econdary 1chools 6earning Competencies (P11C".
NR # 3477B
MAY 25, 2014
Recruited teachers and support personnel in the 0H11 shall receive incentives!
monetary compensation! honoraria and %ould be trained in relevant programs.
The ep$d! the <P(0pen $ducational 1ystem and the epartment of the 5nterior
and 6ocal 4overnment (564" are encourage to enter into a 7emorandum of 2greement
(702" that specifies their respective roles to ensure ma=imum cooperation and success in
the operation of the 0H11.
2lso! private education institutions are encourage to establish their o%n privately(
funded distance learning centers follo%ing standards and criteria! subject to approval of
the ep$d.
The co(authors of the measure are Reps. 5sidro <ngab (>
rd
istrict! avao City"! ?C
Rahman 3ava (6one istrict! 4uimaras"! Thelma 2lmario (9
nd
istrict! avao 0riental"!
Celso 6obregat (@
st
istrict! Aamboanga City"! 6eopoldo #ataoil (9
nd
istrict!
Pangasinan"! 7ariano Piamonte! ?r. (Party 6ist! 2 T$2CH$R"! ?oseph 4ilbert Biolago
(9
nd
istrict! 3ueva $cija"! 4abriel 6uis :uisumbing (C
th
istrict! Cebu"! $mil 0ng (9
nd
istrict! 3orthern 1amar"! 7a. Bictoria 1y(2lvarado (@
st
istrict! #ulacan"! Herminia
Roman (@
st
istrict! #ataan"! Raul el 7ar (@
st
istrict! Cebu City"! Randolph Ting (>
rd
istrict! Cagayan"! 2ngelina Tan (,
th
istrict! :ue'on"! 6u'viminda 5lagan (Party 6ist!
42#R5$62"! 6inabelle Ruth Billarica (,
th
istrict! #ulacan"! ?ose Tejada (>
rd
istrict!
3orth Cotabato"! ?orge 2lmonte (@
st
istrict! 7isamis 0ccidental"! ouglas Hagedorn (>
rd
istrict! Pala%an"! 7ichael 2ngelo Rivera (Party 6ist! @ C2R$"! 1ilvestre #ello 555 (Party
6ist! @ #2P"! Karlo 2le=ei 3ograles (@
st
istrict! (avao City"! &rederic/ 2bueg (9
nd
istrict! Pala%an"! 4%endolyn 4arcia (>
rd
istrict! Cebu"! eogracias Ramos (9
nd
istrict!
1orsogon"! &ernando 4on'ales (>
rd
istrict! 2lbay"! Cresente Pae' (Party 6ist! C00P
32TCC0"! $lisa Kho (9
nd
istrict! 7asbate"! 4ary 2lejano (Party 6ist! 724260"!
2nn Hofer (9
nd
istrict! Aamboanga 1ibugay"! Raneo 2bu (9
nd
istrict! #atangas"! 3icasio
2liping! ?r. (6one istrict! #aguio City"! $strellita 1uansing (@
st
istrict! 3ueva $cija"
?onathan ela Cru' (Party 6ist! 2#2K22"! 6ilia 7acrohon(3uDo (9
nd
istrict!
Aamboanga City"! 1alvio &ortuno (5
th
istrict! Camarines 1ur"! 7aria 6eonor 4erona(
Robredo (>
rd
istrict! Camarines 1ur"! Rose 7arie 2renas (>
rd
istrict! Pangasinan"! Philip
Pichay (@
st
istrict! 1urigao el 1ur" and 2rnel Cerafica (@
st
istrict! Taguig City". (>-" jc