President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday, 27 April 2022, signed the Excellence in Teacher Education Act, a landmark education reform bill that RCTQ helped draft in 2020 with the Malacanang-led Technical Working Group for Teacher Quality (TWG-TQ).

Republic Act 11713 is expected to revamp and strengthen the Teacher Education Council (TEC) and to improve teacher and school leader quality across all career stages.  The principal authors of the bill are Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian and Rep. Roman Romulo. (Read full copy of RA 11713)

In the signed law, the Philippine Normal University is named as advisor to the revamped TEC. Section 9 of RA 11713 states that “the Philippine Normal University, the designated National Center for Teacher Education under Republic Act 9647, shall serve as the advisor to the Council by providing research-based, strategic, and innovative recommendations and technical support on teacher education.”

RCTQ worked with former Cabinet Secretary and now Civil Service Chairman Atty. Karlo Alexei Nograles who led the TWG-TQ from 2017 to 2020.  With the signing of RA 11713, Chairman Nograles said he is “delighted that the Office of the Cabinet Secretariat was able to conclude our work with the TWG-TQ.”

“Now it’s up to the succeeding administration to implement and see this reform through,” Chairman Nograles said.

Former Cabinet Secretary Nograles at the Senate hearing on SB 1887, the first bill filed on proposed amendment of the Teacher Education Council (TEC) law on 4 November 2020.

Under the leadership of then Sec. Nograles, the TWG-TQ—composed of representatives from the Department of Education (DepEd), Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), among others—agreed to amend RA 7784 or the Teacher Education Council Act of 1994 as the most strategic direction to improve the quality of Philippine education. RCTQ then drafted the first version of the TEC reform bill in 2020. PNU and RCTQ leaders were among the resource persons during the series of Committee hearings both in the Senate and in the lower house in 2020 and 2021. (Read: “If we want to aim high as a nation, we need to support our teachers” – Nograles)

Under RA 11713, some of the powers of the new TEC are to “mandate the minimum requirements for teacher education programs and monitor and quality assure compliance therewith”; “uphold and maintain the integrity of the professional standards for teachers and school leaders”; and “establish policies to implement a system of recognition affirming the career stages achieved by basic education teachers and school leaders based on professional standards, and institute and maintain a pool of national assessors for such recognition.”

Consolidated as SB 2152 in the Senate and HB 10301 in the House of Representatives, the bill hurdled the series of committee hearings and TWG meetings, leading to their plenary approval of SB 2152 and HB 10301 in both chambers, and the respective ratification of the bill’s unified version in both houses on 31 January 2022.

Sen. Gatchalian at the ratification of the bill’s unified version at the Senate on 31 Jaunary 2022.

In introducing the unified version of the bill in the Senate, Senator Gatchalian said “this is a significant step forward addressing the perennial crisis hounding our education system particularly our basic education sector,” the senator said. The bill was co-authored by senators Joel Villanueva, Ramon Revilla Jr., Juan Edgardo Angara, Nancy Binay, Juan Miguel Zubiri and Ralph Recto.

At the House of Representatives, joining Rep. Romulo as co-authors of the bill are Representatives Weslie Gatchalian, Mark Go, Eric Yap, Angelo Marcos Barba, Joy Myra Tambunting, Lawrence Fortun, Gabriel Bordado Jr., Marlyn Alonte, Ruwel Peter Gonzaga, Kristine Alexie Tutor, Florida Robes, Dahlia Loyola, Jose Tejada, Alfel Bascug, Allan Benedict Reyes, Amihilda Sangcopan, Carl Nicolas Cari, Estrellita Suansing, Glona Labadlabad, Hector Sanchez, Irene Gay Saulog, John Marvin Nieto, Jose Ong Jr., Joseph Lara, Leonardo Babasa Jr., Lorna Bautista-Bandigan, Cuaresma, Maria Fe Abunda, Maricel Natividad-Nagaño, Maximo Dalog Jr., Micaela Violago, Resurreccion Acop, Rosanna Vergara, Ruth Mariano-Hernandez, Tyrone Agabas, Virgilio Lacson, John Reynald Tiangco, Henry Villarica, Jose Christopher Belmonte, Manuel Jose Dalipe, Rufus Rodriguez, Deogracias Victor Savellano, Cristal Bagatsing, Elenita Milagros Ermita-Buhain, Junie Cua, Rudys Caesar Fariñas, Jose Enrique Garcia III, Greg Gasataya, Ed Christopher Go, David Suarez, Fernando Cabredo, Cheryl Deloso-Montalla, Abdullah Dimaporo, Alan Dujali, Michael Gorriceta, Eduardo Gullas, Godofredo Guya, Edward Vera Maceda, Mario Vittorio Mariño, Ma. Lucille Nava M.D., Alyssa Sheena Tan, Maria Lourdes Acosta-Alba, Arlene Brosas, Juliet Marie Ferrer, Ciriaco Gato Jr., Ron Salo, Ma. Victoria Umali, and Ann Hofer.

AdminNewsTeacher Education Council,TWG-TQ
President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday, 27 April 2022, signed the Excellence in Teacher Education Act, a landmark education reform bill that RCTQ helped draft in 2020 with the Malacanang-led Technical Working Group for Teacher Quality (TWG-TQ). Republic Act 11713 is expected to revamp and strengthen the Teacher Education Council (TEC)...