Bangsamoro lawmakers push for three education bills

COTABATO CITY – To improve education access and quality in the Bangsamoro region, three measures have been introduced, each seeking to establish educational facilities at the grassroots level.

The first of these bills is BTA Parliament Bill No. 252, or the One High School per Barangay Act of 2023, which calls for the establishment of a high school in every barangay or a cluster of two barangays across the region.

The bill, whose principal author is MP Engr. Baintan Adil-Ampatuan, aims to ensure that all Bangsamoro residents, regardless of their socio-economic status or background, have easy access to quality education.

Ampatuan emphasized the urgent need for such a measure, noting that many young individuals in the region have been deprived of education due to the prolonged armed conflict and violence in the area, leading to high unemployment rates and disadvantaged families.

Data showed that the BARMM has consistently ranked lowest in terms of participation and completion rates in formal education.

She said that the establishment of a high school in each barangay will help reduce the number of children who are unable to complete their basic education.

It will also provide more accessible education, reduce daily expenses for students, and minimize travel time to school.

BTA Parliament Bill No. 253, or One TESD Training Center per Municipality/City Act of 2023," seeks to create a Technical Education and Skills Development (TESD) Center in every municipality or city in the region.

These centers will be operated under the supervision of the Ministry of Basic, Higher, and Technical Education.

Ampatuan said these centers will help the constituents by offering quality education and training without economic constraints. It will help transform individuals into skilled, employable workers, helping to accelerate the social and economic development of the Bangsamoro region.

The centers will offer technical-vocational training and skill development programs to students and residents from low-income families, as well as out-of-school youth, persons with disabilities, and indigenous peoples, in order to help them become productive and independent, globally competitive skilled labor force members, which will speed up the Bangsamoro Region's social and economic development.

Lastly, BTA Parliament Bill No. 255, or One Special Needs Education (SPED) Center per Municipality/City Act of 2023, aims to ensure that all children with special needs (CSN) have access to quality and inclusive education.
 
The SPED centers will cater to children with disabilities, providing them with essential services that cater to their unique needs, including integration into mainstream education.

MP Ampatuan emphasized that it is the government's responsibility to support children with special needs and facilitate their holistic development.

The SPED centers will offer various services, enabling these children to unlock their potential and abilities.

The SPED center will provide children with special needs with access to basic, quality, and inclusive education, as well as other related alternative education delivery services; facilitate CSN integration into mainstream education and regular school; and facilitate the development of CSNs' abilities, talents, potentials, interests, and all aspects of their development, among other things.

All high schools and SPED centers are exempt from paying all government taxes, fees, assessments, and other charges, including customs duties, taxes, and tariffs on the importation of equipment, books, supplies, instruments, materials, and goods, including donations.

The said bills are co-authored by MPs Atty. Laisa Alamia, Amilbahar Mawallil, and Atty. Suharto Ambolodto, Engr. Don Mustapha Loong, Atty. Rasol Mitmug Jr., Rasul Ismael, Tawakal Midtimbang, Jaafar Apolo Mikhail Matalam, Michael Midtimbang, and Atty. Sittie Fahanie Uy-Oyod, Khalid Hadji Abdullah, and Bassir Utto (LTAIS-Public Information, Publication, and Media Relations Division)