REPUBLIC ACT. NO.

9293

- An Act Amending Certain Sections of Republic Act No. 7836 known as the “Philippine
Teachers Professionalization Act of 1994.”

What is amendments and why there is an amendments to certain sections of Republic Act no. 7836?

- When we say amendments, we mean that there are minimal revisions or addition to the existing
legislation and these amendments happened because they have seen that RA. 7836 is not an
effective solution that guarantee quality teacher.

Important Terms and Their Definition

A. Teaching
- Refers to the profession concerned primarily with classroom instruction, at the
elementary and secondary levels in accordance with the curriculum prescribed by the
Department of Education, whether on part-time or full-time basis in the private or
public schools.
B. Teachers
- Refers to all persons engaged in teaching at the elementary and secondary levels,
whether on full-time or part-time basis, including industrial arts or vocational teachers
and all other persons performing supervisory and/or administrative functions in all
schools in the aforesaid levels and qualified to practice teaching under this Act.
C. Board
- Refers to the Board for Professional Teachers duly established and constituted under
this Act.
D. Commission
- Refers to the Professional Regulation Commission.
E. Para-Teachers
- They are the teachers issued by temporary/special permit and have not taken or not yet
able to take LET.
F. Special Permit
- A permit given to teachers who excelled and are recognized internationally
G. Department of Education
- Also known as DepEd.
- Executive Department of the Philippine Government responsible for ensuring access to,
promoting equity in and improving the quality of basic education.

Section 1. Section 15, (e)(3) of Republic Act No. 7836 is hereby amended as follows:

Sec. 15. Qualification Requirements of Applicant. – No applicant shall be admitted to take the
examination unless, on the date of filing of the application, he shall have complied with the following
requirements:
“A graduate of a school college or university recognized by the government and possesses the minimum
educational qualifications, as follows:

(1) For teachers in preschool, a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education (BECED) or
its equivalent;
(2) For teachers in the secondary grades, a bachelor’s degree in elementary education
(BSEED) or its equivalent;
(3) For teachers in the secondary grades, a bachelor’s degree in education or its equivalent
with a major and minor, or a bachelor degree in arts and sciences with at least eighteen
(18) units in professional education; and
(4) For teachers of vocational and two-year technical courses, a bachelor’s degree in the
field of specialization or its equivalent, with at least eighteen (18) units in professional
education,”

- So, from 10 units under Republic Act no. 7836 , they added another 8 units for teachers
in the secondary grades if you’re graduated of bachelor degree in arts and sciences.
Therefore, there’s a total of 18 units under Republic Act no. 9293.

Section 2. Section 26 of the same Act is hereby amended to read as follows:

“Sec 26. Registration and Exception. – No person shall engage in teaching and/or act as a professional
teacher as defined in this Act. Whether in the preschool, elementary or secondary level, unless the
person is a duly registered professional teacher, and a holder of a valid certificate of registration and a
valid professional license or a holder of a valid special/temporary permit.

Upon approval of the application and payment of the prescribed fees, the certificate of registration and
professional license as a professional teacher shall be issued without examination as acquired in this Act
to a qualified applicant, who is:

(a) A holder of a certificate of eligibility as a teacher issued by the Civil Service Commission and the
Department of Education, Culture and Sports; or
(b) A registered professional teacher with the National Board for Teachers under the Department of
Education, Culture and Sports (DECS) pursuant to Presidential Decree No. 1006.

Professional teachers who have not practiced their profession for the past five (5) years shall take at
least twelve (12) units of education courses, consisting of a least six (6) units of pedagogy and six (6)
units of context courses or the equivalent training and number of hours to be chosen from a list of
courses to be provided by the Board and the Department of Education, before they can be allowed to
practice their profession in the country.

Those who have failed the licensure examination for professional teachers, with a rating of not lower
than five percentage points from the passing general average rating, shall be eligible as para-teachers
upon issuance by the Board of a two-year special permit, renewable for a non-extendible period of two
(2) years The para-teachers shall be assigned to areas where there is a shortage or absence of a
professional teacher, as identified and provided by the Department of Education and the Autonomous
Region for Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) education department to the Board for professional teachers and
to the Commission. The special permit shall indicate the area of assignment of the para-teacher.

A special permit may also be issued by the Board to a person who has excelled and gained international
recognition and is a widely acknowledged expert in his or her respective field of specialization.”

- In this section, it tell us that the registration of a professional teacher begins after his
name has been enrolled in the register of professional teacher. Before this, each
teacher shall be required to take his professional oath so that she can finally practice
as pro professional teacher. Also, in this act, the optician must be a holder of a
certificate of eligibility as a teacher issued by the civil service commission and the
DECS; or a registered professional teacher with the National Board for Teachers under
the DECS pursuant to Presidential Decree no. 1006.
- Teachers who have not practiced their profession for the past 5 years must take
education courses, consisting of at least 6 units of pedagogy and units of content
courses before they are allowed to teach within our country.
- Individuals who failed the licensure examination with a rating of not less than five
percent points from the passing general average rating are eligible as para-teachers.
- The special permit shall indicate the area of assignment of the para- teachers. Special
permit may also be issued to a person who has excelled and gained international
recognition and is widely acknowledged expert in his or her specialization.

Section 3. Section 31 of the same Act is hereby amended to read as follows:

“Sec. 31. Transitory Provision. – Special permits, with a validity of three (3) and five (5) years. Issued to
para-teachers by the Board for Professional Teachers before the effectivity of this Act shall be allowed to
expire based on the period granted therein: Provided, That only special permits with a validity of three
(3) years maybe renewed upon expiration for a non-extendible period of two (2) years.”

Section 4. References to the term “Department of Education, Culture and Sports”, in Section 4 (a) and
Section 25, and the term “DECS” in Section 20, of the same Act, are hereby amended to read as
“Department of Education” DepEd”, respectively.

Sec. 5. Separability Clause. — If, for any reason, any section or provision of this Act or the application of
such section or provision to any person or circumstance is declared unconstitutional or invalid, no other
section or provision of this Act shall be affected thereby.

Section 6. Repealing Clause. – All laws, decrees, circulars, administrative orders, rules and regulations,
and other issuances which are inconsistent with the provisions of this Act am hereby repealed or
modified accordingly.
Section 7. Effectivity. – This Act shall take effect upon approval.

Implications to Teacher, Students, Schools, Principals and other Administrators and the Teaching
Profession in general

To Schools:

- It will be occupied by teachers with and without license but excelled and gained international
recognition as stated in Sec. 2 Sec. 26 last paragraph .

To Principal and other Administrator:

- They must be responsible and careful in signifying into the laws, orders, etc. for it must be
connected to the Act itself. (Sec. 6 Repealing Clause)

To Teachers:

- In Sec. 1 Sec. 15 , teachers will be competent since they are required to have at least 18 units in
professional education and some who stops teaching in 5 years will still be required to take units in
pedagogy and the context courses as stated in Sec. 2 Sec. 26.

-Para-teachers will be assigned in any locality that needs professional teachers as mentioned in Sec.
2 Sec. 26

Students:

- They are rest assured that they will experience a teacher who is holistically developed in all
aspects.

Approved and signed by:

Jose De Venecia Jr.
Speaker of the House of Representatives

Franklin M. Drilon
President of the Senate

This act, which is a consolidation of Senate Bill No. 2698 and House Bill No. 5411 was finally
passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives on February 6, 2004 and February 7,
2004, Respectively.
Signed by :

Roberto P. Nazareno

Secretary General

House of Representatives

Oscar G. Yabes

Secretary of the Senate

Approved and signed as an Act by:

Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo

President of the Philippines

Year Approved and Implemented

April 21, 2004