After several years of debates, the Kindergarten-to-12th grade scheme is

being fully implemented starting this school year. The first day of classes
today is expected to be marked by protests from teachers displaced by the
additional two years of basic education as well as some parents
complaining about the extra expenses.

K-12, however, is seen as a necessary adjustment if Philippine education is

to keep up with more competitive nations, which allot the same number of
years to elementary and high school education.

There are valid concerns that the additional year in grade school and
another in high school will be wasted on redundant lessons. The public will
hold education officials to their assurance that this will not be the case.
Teachers displaced by the additional two years must also be given
assistance.

Under K-12, kindergarten has also been made mandatory and universally
free in public schools. This allows children even from low-income
households to catch up with their more affluent counterparts who spend
two or three years in kiddie or preparatory schools before entering first
grade.

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K-12 is a key component of efforts to improve the quality of Philippine
education. Over half a century ago, the Philippines was considered a
regional leader in education. A combination of factors, among them
insufficient resources plus the exodus of qualified teachers who wanted
better paying jobs abroad, led to a progressive deterioration in the quality of
education.

National competitiveness has been the casualty. In recent years, efforts

have been made to correct the slide. The outgoing Aquino administration
has substantially addressed shortages in textbooks, school buildings and
rooms, and lured more teachers by raising compensation. Efforts are being
undertaken to reverse the deterioration in English proficiency.

Opinion ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1

K-12 is among the more dramatic schemes to boost the quality of
education. The incoming Duterte administration has expressed support for
the scheme, which aims to improve the abilities of the nations most
valuable

he proposed Freedom of Information (FOI) Act aims to mandate the

disclosure of public documents. The proposed bill also outlines the
exceptions for public disclosure and the procedures for accessing public
documents.

UPDATES

Administration

LATEST: In President Aquinos message on the National Budget for Fiscal

Year 2016, he reiterated that greater fiscal transparency leads to a more
responsive government. To ensure the permanency of transparency
policies, he has urged Congress to pass the Freedom of Information Act.
Both bills below follow the proposed FOI bill approved by President
Benigno S. Aquino III, which was transmitted to the previous Congress by
the Secretary of Budget and Management, Florencio Abad. Secretary
Abad resubmitted the bill to the current Congress as well.

This FOI bill is an integral element of the Aquino Good Governance and
Anti-Corruption Plan of 2012-2016. This plan lays out reforms and
initiatives that pursue greater transparency, accountability, and citizen
participation in governance.

This draft bill is a result of a consultative process conducted by an

administration study group after careful study of similar legislation in order
to balance the governments legitimate needs for secrecy with the publics
right to know.

The administration study group was composed of Communications

Undersecretary Manuel L. Quezon III (lead), Presidential Spokesperson
Edwin Lacierda, Secretary Florencio B. Abad, and Deputy Presidential
Spokesperson Abigail Valte, in coordination with the stakeholders.

Senate

On Monday, March 10, 2014, the Senate passed the FOI bill on third and
final reading, with 22 affirmative votes, no abstention, and no negative
votes.

House of Representatives

LATEST: On March 4, 2015, the bill passed the Committee on

Appropriations; as of this date, it is awaiting 2nd reading.

The Committee of Public Information of the House of Representatives has

formed a technical working group (TWG) to expedite the passage of the
house version. The TWG has conducted regular meetings to discuss the
provisions last February to June. Resource persons from the different
offices from the executive participated in the meetings. The Office of the
President was represented by Undersecretary Manuel L. Quezon III.

On October 23, 2013, Camarines Sur Third District Representative Maria

Leonor G. Robredo and Batanes Representative Henedina R. Abad filed
House Bill No. 3237, otherwise known as An Act to Strengthen the Right of
Citizens to Information held by the Government.

WE EXPECT President Rodrigo Duterte to sign an Executive Order (EO)

on the Freedom of Information (FOI) today as announced by
Communications Secretary Martin Andanar Wednesday.

Aside from suppressing illegal drugs and criminality in the span of six
months, the President also promised that he would issue a directive putting
in place the FOI.
Andanar said that if everything goes well, the president could already sign
the EO today.
Advocates, including militant groups and journalists, have been pushing for
more transparency in government long before Duterte was elected.
However, the FOI bill gathered dust in the House of Representatives even
after the Senate passed its versions in the 16th Congress and in the two
earlier Congresses.
Former President Benigno Aquino III had vowed to certify the FOI bill
urgent during his first year in office, but obviously he had forgotten his
promise.
Outgoing House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. previously vowed to pass
their own version of the FOI before the end of the 16th Congress, but the
Aquino administration removed the bill from their list of priority measures.
Pundits claimed the former president was not really sincere on his promise
from the get-go.
FOI empowers the public to understand how the government works and
how funds are spent and implemented. It would allow everyone to access
government documents and transactions, as long as the data would not
threaten national security.
Transparency in government, which is plague with corruption, is needed to
inform the public, who will serve as watchdogs of the elected and
government officials, about the disbursement of funds.
With this, it is seen to deter graft and corruption, as the public would
assertively monitor government transactions.
Dutertes EO would ensure the publics access to information in the
executive department, but advocates are still hopeful for the passage of
FOI law that will apply equally to other branches of government and to
independent constitutional bodies that cannot be covered by an EO.