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REPUBLIC
ACT NO. 8980
THE
ECCD
ACT
REPUBLIC
ACT NO. 8980
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AN
ACT PROMULGATING A COMPREHENSIVE POLICY AND A NATIONAL SYSTEM FOR EARLY
CHILDHOOD CARE AND DEVELOPMENT (ECCD), PROVIDING FUNDS THEREFOR AND FOR
OTHER PURPOSES.
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Section 1.
Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "ECCD
Act".
Sec. 2. Declaration
of Policy. - It is hereby declared the policy of the State to
promote
the rights of children to survival, development and special protection
with full recognition of the nature of childhood and its special needs;
and to support parents in their roles as primary caregivers and as
their
children's first teachers. The State shall institutionalize a National
System for Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) that is
comprehensive,
integrative and sustainable, that involves multi-sectoral and
inter-agency
collaboration at the national and local levels among government; among
service providers, families and communities; and among the public and
private
sectors, non-government organizations, professional associations, and
academic
institutions, This System shall promote the inclusion of children with
special needs and advocate respect for cultural diversity. It shall be
anchored on complementary strategies for ECCD that include service
delivery
for children from conception to age six (6), educating parents and
caregivers,
encouraging the active involvement of parents and communities in ECCD
programs,
raising awareness about the importance of ECCD, and promoting community
development efforts that improve the quality of life for young children
and families,
Sec. 3. Objectives.
- The objectives of the National ECCD System are:
(a) To
achieve
improved infant and child survival rates by ensuring that adequate
health
and nutrition programs are accessible to young children and their
mothers
from the pre-natal period throughout the early childhood years;
(b)
To
enhance
the physical, social, emotional, cognitive, psychological, spiritual
and
language development of young children;
(c)
To
enhance
the role of parents and other caregivers as the primary caregivers and
educators of their children from birth onwards;
(d)
To
facilitate
a smooth transition from care and education provided at home to
community
or school-based setting and to primary school;
(e)
To
enhance
the capabilities of service providers and their supervisors to comply
with
quality standards for various ECCD programs;
(f)
To
enhance
and sustain the efforts of communities to promote ECCD programs and
ensure
that special support is provided for poor and disadvantaged communities;
(g)
To
ensure
that young children are adequately prepared for the formal learning
system
and that both public and private schools are responsive to the
developmental
needs of these children;
(h)
To
establish
an efficient system for early identification, prevention, referral and
intervention for developmental disorders and disabilities in early
childhood;
and
(i)
To
improve
the quality standards of public and private ECCD programs through, but
not limited to, a registration and credential system for ECCD service
providers.
Sec. 4. Definitions.
- For purposes of this Act:
(a)
Early
Childhood
Care and Development (ECCD) System refers to the full range of health,
nutrition, early education and social services programs that provide
for
the basic holistic needs of young children from birth to age six (6),
to
promote their optimum growth and development. These programs include:
(1)
Center-based
programs, such as the day care service established under Republic Act
No.
6972, public and private pre-schools, kindergarten or school-based
programs,
community or church-based early childhood education programs initiated
by non-government organizations or people's organizations,
workplace-related
child care and education programs, child-minding centers, health
centers
and stations; and
(2)
Home-based
programs, such as the neighborhood-based play groups, family day care
programs,
parent education and home visiting programs.
(b) ECCD
Service
Providers include the various professionals, paraprofessionals, and
volunteer
caregivers who are directly responsible for the care and education of
young
children through the various center and home-based programs. They
include,
but are not limited to, day care workers, teachers, teacher-aides,
rural
health midwives, social workers, community health workers, barangay
nutrition
scholars, parent effectiveness service volunteers, child development
workers,
and family day care providers.
(c)
ECCD
Curriculum
refers to the age-appropriate and developmentally appropriate
educational
objectives, program of activities, organized learning experiences and
recommended
learning materials for children that are implemented by service
providers
through center and home-based programs. It shall consist of national
program
goals and guidelines, instructional objectives, and content outlines
integrating
local learning experiences and indigenous learning materials.
(d)
Parent
Education
refers to the various formal and alternative means of providing parents
with information, skills, and support systems to assist them in their
roles
as their children's primary caregivers and educators. These include
public
and private parent education programs linked to center, home and
media-based
child care and education programs.
Sec. 5. System
Framework and Components. - The ECCD System shall include the
following
components:
(a) ECCD
Curriculum - which focuses on children's total development
according
to their individual needs and socio-cultural background. It shall
promote
the delivery of complementary and integrative services for health care,
nutrition, early childhood education, sanitation, and cultural
activities.
It shall use the child's first language as the medium of instruction.
(b) Parent
Education and Involvement, Advocacy, and Mobilization of Communities
- which harness and develop parents' strengths as providers of ECCD at
home, active partners or other stakeholders, advocates for community
concerns
that affect children, and pillars of support for local and national
ECCD
programs through community organization efforts.
(c) Human
Resource Development Program - which establishes mechanisms for
the
systematic professionalization of ECCD service providers, through
enrollment
in educational programs in site-based or distance educational modes,
through
pre-service or in-service training including continuing education
programs,
whereby a registration and credential system shall be developed in the
ECCD System.
(d) ECCD
Management - which focuses on a continuing process of planning,
implementation,
supervision, financial management, monitoring, evaluation and
reporting.
It shall encourage the active involvement and build the capabilities of
service providers, parents, and local government officials to sustain
the
program, and it shall be guided by the principles of decentralization
as
stipulated in the Local
Government Code of 1991.
(e) Quality
Standards and Accreditation - which ensures that each component in
the ECCD System complies with national quality standards, to be
established
by the National ECCD Coordinating Council as provided for under Section
8 of this Act, linked to an accreditation process.
Sec. 6. Establishment
of ECCD System. - The National ECCD System shall be established in
at least three (3) regions each year, as may be determined by the
National
ECCD Coordinating Council, to achieve national coverage over a
five-year
period.
Sec. 7. Implementing
Arrangements and Operational Structures. - The implementation of
the
National ECCD System shall be the joint responsibility of the national
government agencies, local government units, non-government
organizations,
and private organizations that are accredited to deliver the services
or
to provide training and technical assistance.
(a) Responsibilities
of the National Government - National government agencies shall be
responsible for developing policies and programs, providing technical
assistance
and support to the ECCD service providers in consultation with
coordinating
committees at the provincial, city/municipal, and barangay levels, as
provided
for in Section 8 of this Act, and monitoring of ECCD service benefits
and
outcomes. The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the
Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS), the Department of
Health
(DOH), the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), the
Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), the Department of
Agriculture
(DA), the Department of Justice (DOJ), the National Economic and
Development
Authority (NEDA), and the National Nutrition Council (NNC) shall
jointIy
prepare annual ECCD for work plans that will coordinate their
respective
technical assistance and support for the National ECCD Program. They
shall
consolidate existing program implementing guidelines that ensure
consistency
in integrated service delivery within the National ECCD System.
(1)
The
DECS
shall promote the National ECCD Program in schools. ECCD programs in
public
schools shall be under the joint responsibility of their respective
school
principal/school-head and parents-teachers-community association (PTCA)
within the standards set forth in the National ECCD System and under
the
guidance of the City/ Municipal ECCD Coordinating Committee for the
effective
and equitable delivery of ECCD services. It shall also make available
existing
facilities of public elementary schools for ECCD classes.
(2)
Public
and
private pre-schools shall be registered by the Provincial or City ECCD
Coordinating Committee upon the recommendation of the respective
division
office of the DECS. NGO-initiated, community, church, home, and
workplace-based
service providers shall be registered upon the recommendation of the
provincial/city
social welfare and development office. These public and private ECCD
service
providers shall operate within the standards set forth in the National
ECCD System and under the guidance of the City/Municipal ECCD
Coordinating
Committee for the effective delivery of ECCD services.
(b) Responsibilities
of Local Government Units - Local government units (LGUs) shall be
primarily responsible for:
(1)
Implementing
the National ECCD Program by providing basic public ECCD services;
(2)
Supporting
the organization of parent cooperatives to initiate the establishment
of
ECCD programs;
(3)
Ensuring
that service providers of public ECCD programs under their supervision
shall be justly compensated, that adequate funds are made available,
and
their working conditions are conducive to fulfill national quality
standards;
and
(4)
Providing
counterpart funds for the training and continuing education of ECCD
service
providers, and supporting the operations of Provincial, City/Municipal
and Barangay ECCD Coordinating Committees.
(c) Responsibilities
of Families and Communities - The families and communities shall
support
the local ECCD programs by participating in various projects for the
overall
development of their children.
Sec. 8. Creation
of National Coordinating Council and Coordinating Committees for ECCD.
- To ensure the sustained inter-agency and multi-sectoral
collaboration
from the national, provincial, city/municipal to barangay levels, a
National
Coordinating Council and provincial, city/municipal and barangay
coordinating
committees shall be organized.
(a) National
ECCD Coordinating Council. - The Council for the Welfare of
Children
(CWC) shall also function as the National ECCD Coordinating Council,
hereinafter
referred to as the Council, and shall hereby be under the Office of the
President.
(1) Composition.
- In addition to the existing members of the CWC, two (2) private
individuals,
who are ECCD practitioners and experts shall be appointed by the
President,
upon recommendation of the Council, for a term of two (2) years subject
to one (1) reappointment. The Council shall meet once a month or as
often
as necessary. The Secretaries of the DSWD, DECS, DOH, and DILG shall
act
as co-chairpersons of the Council and must be represented by a person
with
a rank not lower than an Undersecretary.
(2) Council
Secretariat. - The CWC Secretariat shall also serve as the
secretariat
of the Council. It shall be headed by an executive director, who shall
be appointed by the President, upon the recommendation of the Council.
He/She shall have the rank, privileges, and emoluments of a Career
Executive
Service Officer I. Nothing herein shall prejudice any right vested
prior
to the enactment of this Act.
There
shall
be created two (2) permanent positions of Deputy Executive Directors to
be appointed by the Council, one of whom shall be exclusively concerned
with ECCD programs and activities and the other exclusively with the
existing
functions of the CWC. The Deputy Executive Directors shall be assisted
by senior technical staff to be seconded from the DSWD, DECS, DOH,
DILG,
DOLE, DA, DOJ, NEDA and NNC for a period of at least two (2)
years,
subject to renewal, and shall be entitled to whatever additional
remuneration
the law allows for such secondment.
(3) Functions
of the National ECCD Coordinating Council. - The Council shall:
(i)
Promulgate
policies and implementing guidelines for ECCD programs in consultation
with stakeholders at various levels, including the regional level when
appropriate, consistent with the national policy and program frameworks
as defined in this Act;
(ii)
Establish
ECCD program standards that reflect developmentally appropriate and
culturally
relevant practices for ECCD programs, which shall interface with the
primary
school curriculum of the DECS;
(iii)
Develop
a national system for the recruitment, registration, continuing
education
and equivalency, and credential system of ECCD service providers,
supervisors
and administrators to improve and professionalize the ECCD sector and
upgrade
quality standards of public and private ECCD programs;
(iv)
Develop
and implement a system of awards and recognition to deserving ECCD
program
implementors and service providers;
(v)
Coordinate
the various ECCD programs of each line agency and monitor the delivery
of services to the ECCD program beneficiaries nationwide;
(vi)
Evaluate
and assess the impact and outcome of various ECCD programs nationwide
through
an effective information system;
(vii)
Develop
and establish a national system for early identification, screening,
surveillance
of early childhood disabilities, developmental problems, and giftedness;
(viii)
Develop
and implement various support mechanisms that maximize the public and
private
resources for implementing ECCD programs, giving priority to the needy
and high risk children from poor communities;
(ix)
Provide
counterpart funds to poor and disadvantaged communities for the
establishment
and expansion of public ECCD programs, improvement of physical
facilities
and for hiring of ECCD service providers;
(x)
Promote
and encourage private sector initiative for the establishment of ECCD
programs;
and
(xii)
Provide
guidelines for ECCD Coordinating Committees at the provincial, city/
municipal
and barangay levels for the conduct of solicitations and requests for
assistance
from local and international civic organizations, private philanthropic
foundations to supplement available resources.
(b) Provincial
ECCD Coordinating Committee. Composition, Function, Secretariat. -
There shall be created in every province a Provincial ECCD Coordinating
Committee.
(1) Composition.
- The Provincial ECCD Coordinating Committee shall be
composed of
the
Governor of the Province as Chairperson, Division Superintendent of
DECS,
Provincial Planning and Development Officer, Provincial Budget Officer,
Provincial Health Officer, Provincial Director of DILG, Provincial
Social
Welfare and Development Officer, Provincial Treasurer, President of the
Provincial League of Municipal Mayors, and two (2) representatives of
non-government
organizations operating ECCD programs appointed by the Committee, for a
two-year term, subject to one (1) reappointment, as members;
(2) Functions.
- The Provincial ECCD Coordinating Committee shall be under
the
Provincial
Development Council and shall perform similar functions as the National
ECCD Coordinating Council as appropriate, including other functions
that
may be provided in the Implementing Rules and Regulations of this Act.
It shall coordinate the delivery of services and support from the
National
ECCD Coordinating Council and the national line agencies involved in
ECCD
programs. It shall also support and complement the resources available
to municipalities and barangays in the province in the expansion and
improvement
of ECCD programs, as well as be responsible for the registration of
ECCD
programs and service providers; and
(3) Secretariat.
- The Provincial ECCD Coordinating Committee shall organize a
secretariat
which shall coordinate and monitor the effective implementation of ECCD
programs in the province. It shall be headed by the provincial ECCD
Officer,
who shall be appointed by the Governor, upon the recommendation of the
Provincial ECCD Coordinating Committee. He/She skill have the rank,
privileges
and emoluments of a Department head.
For the
first
three
(3) years of the establishment of the ECCD system in the province, the
salary, allowances and other benefits of the Provincial ECCD Officer
shall
be paid for by the Council. Thereafter, such sums as may be necessary
for
the salaries, allowances and other benefits of the Provincial ECCD
Officer
shall be provided by the province.
(c) City/Municipal
ECCD Coordinating Committee; Composition, Functions, Secretariat.
-There
shall be created in every city and municipality a City/Municipal ECCD
Coordinating
Committee.
(1) Composition.
- The City/Municipal ECCD Coordinating Committee shall be composed of
the
City/Municipal Mayor as Chairperson, the Division Superintendent/
District
Supervisor of DECS, City/Municipal Planning and Development Officer,
City/
Municipal Budget Officer, City/Municipal Health Officer, City/Municipal
Social Welfare and Development Officer, City/Municipal Local
Government,
Officer, City/Municipal Treasurer, City/Municipal Nutrition Officer,
President
of the Association of Barangay Captains in the City/Municipality,
President
of the Parent Teachers-Community Federation in the City/Municipality,
and
two (2) representatives of non-government organizations involved in
ECCD
programs in the City/Municipality appointed by the Committee for a
two-year
term, subject to one (1) reappointment, as members.
(2) Functions.
- The City/Municipal ECCD Coordinating Committee shall be under the
city/municipal
development council and shall perform similar functions as the council
as appropriate, including other functions that may be provided in the
Implementing
Rules and Regulations. It shall likewise support and complement the
resources
available to barangays in the expansion and improvement of ECCD
programs,
coordinate and monitor the delivery of services at the barangay level,
ensure accurate reporting and documentation of service delivery, as
well
as mobilize and encourage private sector initiatives for the
establishment
of ECCD program implementors in tile city/municipality that conforms to
National ECCD System Standards.
(3) Secretariat.
- The City/Municipal ECCD Coordinating Committee shall
organize a
Secretariat
which shall coordinate and monitor the effective implementation of ECCD
programs in the city/municipality. It shall be headed by the
City/Municipal
ECCD Officer, who shall be appointed by the mayor, upon the
recommendation
of the City/Municipal ECCD Coordinating Committee.
(d) Barangay
ECCD Coordinating Committee - The Barangay Council for the
Protection
of Children (BCPC), created under Presidential Decree 603, shall also
function
as the Barangay ECCD Coordinating Committee. The BCPC shall be
responsible
for the proper and effective implementation of public ECCD programs and
maintenance of database system at the barangay level. Pursuant to this,
all barangays shall organize BCPCs in their respective areas.
The
BCPC
shall
be composed of, among others: the Barangay Captain, the school head/s
in
the barangay, the Barangay health midwife, the Barangay health worker,
the Barangay nutrition scholar, the day care worker/s, parents, the
Sangguniang
Kabataan Chairman, and a representative from child-focused non
government
organizations/people's organizations, as members. The members of the
BCPC
shall elect from among themselves the Chairperson.
Section
9. Financing
ECCD Programs. - ECCD programs at the community level shall be
financed
through a combination of public and private funds. All public ECCD
program
providers shall prioritize young children from families who are in
greatest
need and who can least afford private sector programs.
(a) Public
support for ECCD programs. - The government shall support public
ECCD
program through cost-sharing arrangements that shall involve the LGUs,
and counterpart funds from the national government agencies for
technical
assistance and support. Additional funds may be generated from
intergovernmental
donors and financial institutions by the appropriate government
agencies
through the NEDA to support the public programs in fourth, fifth and
sixth
class municipalities including the urban poor. Funds shall be
accessible
to qualified LGUs through the Municipal Development Fund or other
financing
mechanisms as prescribed by the Department of Finance (DOF) and based
on
guidelines from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM). The
Council
may establish a trust fund to assist LGUs in the expansion and
upgrading
of ECCD programs.
Primary
health
care programs, pre-natal and post-natal care, growth, monitoring and
promotion,
and supplementary nutrition programs shall continue to be funded
through
the LGUs with technical support and additional resources from the DOH.
The
Day
Care
Program, Parent Effectiveness Service, Child-Minding Centers, Family
Day
Care and Parent-Child Development Programs shall continue to be
supported
by the LGUs in the form of construction of basic infrastructure,
provision
of facilities, materials and equipment, and compensation for the
service
providers. The DSWD shall provide for technical assistance.
The
kindergarten
program in public schools shall continue to be supported by the DECS in
cooperation with the PTCAs, where applicable, by providing teacher
training,
supplementary learning materials and reference materials for ECCD
programs.
The
DSWD,
DECS,
DOH, and DILG shall support the implementation by LGUs of the National
ECCD Program and shall include in their respective annual general
appropriations
beginning the fiscal year following the approval of this Act the
necessary
funding to achieve the goal of national coverage within a five-year
period
and sustain the Program from thereon. The work and financial plan of
the
DSWD, DECS, DOH, and DILG shall be coordinated with the Council.
(b) Support
for ECCD Programs. - Supported for ECCD programs can be solicited
from
local and international civic organizations, private philanthropic
foundations
to supplement available resources.
Workplace-based
or related ECCD programs should be supported by corporations and
employers
in the form of physical facilities and recurrent operating costs. The
operating
cost incurred for employer or corporate-sponsored ECCD programs can be
deducted from taxable income: Provided, That the employer or
corporation
will not charge user fees.
(c) Costs
to be Shouldered by Families. - The Council shall monitor user
fees
and contributions allowed for both public and private programs to
ensure
that these are affordable and within reasonable limits.
User
fees
for
public programs should be limited to monthly contributions intended to
subsidize recurrent costs. Parents are encouraged to contribute their
time
and services especially in cases where they are unable to afford the
regular
contributions.
Sec. 10. Appropriations.
- For the implementation of this Act, the amount of Four hundred
million
pesos (P400,000,000.00) per year for five (5) years is hereby
appropriated
for the National ECCD Program of the council effective upon approval of
this Act. Said amount shall be funded from the gross income of the
Philippine
Amusement and Gaming Corporation and shall be directly remitted in four
(4) quarterly installments to a special account of the Council.
Thereafter,
such sums as may be necessary for the operations of the Council shall
be
included in the General Appropriations Act.
A supplementary
appropriations in the amount of Thirty million pesos (P30,000,000.00)
shall
be provided to the Council from the President's Organizational
Adjustment
Fund upon approval of this Act.
The above appropriations
shall be separate and distinct from the annual budget of the CWC.
Expenses for
ECCD programs and technical support packages provided by the DSWD,
DECS,
DOH, DILG, DOLE, DA, DOJ, NEDA, and the NNC shall be specified
as
separate line items in their respective annual budgets in the General
Appropriations
Act. Their annual ECCD workplans shall be the basis for these budgets
and
shall be released directly to their regional or provincial offices
whenever
applicable.
Sec. 11. Annual
Report. - The Council shall, at the close of each calendar year,
submit
an annual report to Congress, giving detailed account of its
proceedings
and accomplishments during the year making recommendations for the
adoption
of measures that will improve the National ECCD System.
Sec. 12. Separability
Clause. - If any provision of this Act is declared
unconstitutional,
the same shall not affect the validity and effectivity of the other
provisions
thereof.
Sec. 13. Repealing
Clause. - Pertinent provisions of Presidential
Decree No. 603 and Executive Order No. 233, all laws, Decrees,
executive
orders, presidential proclamations, rules and regulations or parts
thereof
contrary to or inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby
repealed or modified accordingly.
Sec. 14. Implementing
Rules and Regulations. - The Council in consultation with all
appropriate
government agencies and non-government organizations shall formulate
and
issue the necessary rules and regulations for the implementation of
this
Act within ninety (90) days after the effectivity of this Act.
Sec. 15. Effectivity
Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
publication
in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of
general
circulation.
Approved:
December 05, 2000.
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