This document outlines several important laws in the education system of the Philippines from the Spanish period to present. It describes laws that established the Department of Public Instruction (1901), made primary education compulsory (1940s), professionalized teachers (1994), and reformed the K-12 basic education system (2013). Major acts included the Jones Law (1916) creating the Philippine legislature, the Magna Carta for Teachers (1966), and the Enhanced Basic Education Act establishing the current K-12 program. These laws shaped the development of public education in the Philippines over the past century.

1. IMPORTANT LAWS
IN THE
PHILIPPINES
Prepared by:
LESTER L. POTOT, MA.Ed - ELT

2. The Tydings – McDuffie Act
• Officially, the Philippine Independence
Act (1934)
• An act to provide for the complete
independence of the Philippine Islands
from the American territory
• An act authored by Senator Millard E.
Tydings and Representative John
McDuffie
• Signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt

3. Jones Law
• Formally, the Philippine Autonomy Act of
1916
• Created the first fully elected Philippine
legislature
• A statute announcing the intention of the
United States government to withdraw
their sovereignty over the Philippine
Islands as soon as a stable government can
be established therein.

4. Republic Act No. 4670
•June 18, 1966
•The MAGNA CARTA FOR
PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS

5. Republic Act No. 6655
• Free Public Secondary Education Act
of 1988

6. Republic Act No. 7722
• The Higher Education Act of 1994
• Was signed into law by former
President Fidel v. Ramos on May 18,
1994, Creating the Commission on
Higher Education (CHED)

7. Republic Act No. 7877
•Anti – Sexual Harassment Act of
1995

8. Republic Act No. 7796
•Technical Educational and
Skills Development Act of 1994
or the TESDA Act of 1994

9. Republic Act No. 8292
•The Higher Education
Modernization Act of 1997

10. Republic Act No. 8972
•Solo Parents Welfare Act of 2000

11. Republic Act No. 9155
• Governance of Basic Education Act of
2001
• From DECS - DepED

12. Republic Act No. 9262
•Anti – Violence Against Women
and Their Children Act of 2004

13. Republic Act No. 9293
• An act amending R.A No. 7277,
knowns as “MAGNA CARTA FOR
DISABLED PERSONS, AND FOR
OTHER PURPOSES.

14. Republic Act No. 9994
•Expanded Senior Citizens Act of
2010

15. Republic Act No. 10533
•Enhanced Basic Education Act of
2013 (K-12)

16. Executive Order No. 356,
s. 2004
•Renaming the Bureau of Non –
Formal Education to Bureau of
Alternative Learning Systems
(ALS)

17. Presidential Decree No. 1006
•Professionalization of Teachers,
Regulating their practice in the
Philippines and for other
purposes

18. Educational Decree of 1863
• Spanish time
• An act reforming the educational system in the
Philippines
• Prior to the Spanish occupation, early Filipinos
taught their children at home, focusing more on
vocational skills than academics
• The enactment of the educational decree, it
liberalized access to education, which provided
establishment of at least one primary school for
boys and girls in each town.

19. Act No. 74, Educational Act of 1901
•American time
•An act establishing a Department
of Public Instruction in the
Philippine Islands
•An act to bring Philippines 600
American teachers - Thomasites

20. Republic Act No. 4166
• An act changing the date of Philippine
Independence Day from July 4 to
June 12, and declaring July 4 as
Philippine Republic Day, further
amending for the purpose section 29
of the revised administrative code.

21. • Act #74 - enacted in January 21, 1901. It provides
for the establishment of Department of Public
Instruction and establishment of PCAT now TUP
and PNS now PNU
• Act #1870 founding of UP (June 18, 1908)
• Act #2706 Private School Law (enacted March 10,
1917)
• Commonwealth Act #1- preparatory military
training shall begin in Elementary grade school at
age 10. This act was amended by PD 1706 (August 8,
1980) requiring all citizens to render civil welfare
service, law enforcement service and military
service.
• Commonwealth Act #80- (October 26, 1936)
established the Office of Adult Education (vocational
training in an effort to eliminate illiteracy)

22. • Commonwealth Act#578 (June 8, 1940)
conferred the status of PERSONS IN
AUTHORITY upon teachers
• Commonwealth Act #586 Education Act of
1940-reduction of number of years in
elementary (from 7 to 6), fixing school entrance
age 7 years old, national support of elementary
education, compulsory attendance in the
primary grades for all children enrolled in grade
one, introduction of double single session
• Commonwealth Act #589-(August 19, 1940)
established school rituals in private and public
schools

23. • RA #137 (June 14, 1947) enacted the
Board of Textbooks
• RA #896 (June 20, 1953) Elementary
Education Act of 1953. This law
repealed Commonwealth Act #586
(restoration of grade 7, abolition of
double single session, compulsory
completion of elementary, compulsory
enrolment of children in public school
upon reaching 7 years old)

24. •RA #1124 (June 16, 1954) created
the Board of National Education
•RA #1265 (June 11, 1955)
compulsory daily flag ceremony in
all educational institutions
•RA #1425 (June 12, 1956)
teaching life, works and writings of
Rizal especially Noli and Fili in all
public and private schools

25. •RA #1079 (June 15, 1959) provided
that civil service eligibility shall be
permanent and valid lifetime
•RA #7743 (June 17, 1994)
established public libraries and
reading centers in every barangay
•RA #7784 (August 4, 1994)
established Centers of Excellence
and Teachers Education Council

26. • RA #7836 (December 16, 1994) Phil
Teachers Professionalization Act
(supercedes PBET)
• EO #27 (July 4, 1986) inclusion of
human rights courses or subjects
• EO #189 (June 10, 1987) Basic Salary
and COLA of public school teachers will
be paid for by national government
• PD 6-A-(September 29, 1972)
Education Development Decree of 1972

27. • PD 146-(March 9, 1972) NCEE
(superceded by RA7731 on June 2, 1994)
• PD 688-(April 22, 1975) gave power to
CSC the authority to give appropriate
exam to all public school teachers
• PD 907-(March 11, 1976) all honor
graduates of colleges and universities are
granted civil service eligibility
• DECS Order #30 s 1993- NEAT
• DECS Order #30 s 1994- NSAT