House education body priorities listed

THE HOUSE committee on basic education and culture has lined up priority bills anchored on four issues: language, science, facility and student financial aid.

Based on the committee’s schedule on Wednesday, bills to be taken up are establishment of a language policy on the medium of instruction, strengthening science programs through the establishment of science high schools in all provinces; construction and maintenance of schoolbuildings; and streamlining student financial assistance.

House Bills (HB) 66, 93, 191 and 1245, separately filed by Reps. Luis R. Villafuerte (3rd district Camarines Sur), Eduardo R. Gullas (1st district, Cebu), Rachel Marguerite B. del Mar (1st district, Cebu City) and Mark A. Villar (Las Piñas City), seek to strengthen English as medium of instruction.

It will be discussed alongside HB 162, filed by Magtanggol T. Gunigundo I (2nd district, Valenzuela City), which seeks to establish the use of the vernacular in teaching basic education.

As part of the science and technology agenda, the committee will discuss HB 1456, filed by Pampanga Rep. Carmelo F. Lazatin (1st district), which requires the establishment of science high schools in all provinces and highly urbanized cities.

Also in the agenda is HB 1673 of Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Rufus B. Rodriguez (2nd district), which seeks to require the establishment of fully equipped science laboratories in every public elementary and secondary high school.

Also to be discussed are five bills on establishing and maintaining schoolbuildings:

* HB 75 — providing for the establishment of a schoolbuilding in every barangay by Iloilo Rep. Augusto L. Syjuco, Jr. (2nd district);
* HB 437 — institutionalizing modernization and innovation for public elementary and secondary schools by Aurora Rep. Juan Edgardo M. Angara;
* HB 1613 — establishing a program for the acquisition of school sites and the construction, maintenance, rehabilitation and repair of schoolbuildings in the public elementary and secondary schools nationwide by Zambales Rep. Maria Milagros H. Magsaysay (1st district);
* HB 1106 — providing for the rehabilitation and repair of Gabaldon school houses nationwide by Ang Laban ng Indiginong Filipino party-list Rep. Acmad M. Tomawis; and
* HB 1978 — mandating that all illegal wood products confiscated by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources be donated to the Department of Education to be used for the construction of classrooms, tables, chairs and other school facilities by Mr. Rodriguez.

On student financial assistance, the committee will discuss HBs 88, 519 and 1246 filed by Reps. Angara, Villar and Marcelino R. Teodoro (1st district, Marikina City) which seek to rationalize the scholarship system in secondary and tertiary education.

The bills are proposing to standardize criteria and requirements for a national student financial assistance program.

Sought for comment, Alliance of Concerned Teachers party-list Rep. Dante Antino L. Tinio said by phone yesterday that teacher concerns should have been included in the priority list.

He cited as example the magna carta for public and private school teachers which protects teacher rights. — Noemi M. Gonzales, Businessworld