Sponsorship Speech House Bill No. 9658/Committee Report No. 347
AN ACT CONVERTING THE PINAGLABANAN HIGH SCHOOL IN BARANGAY PINAGLABANAN, MUNICIPALITY OF GOA, PROVINCE OF CAMARINES SUR INTO A NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL TO BE KNOWN AS PINAGLABANAN NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL, AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR

Session Hall, Senate of the Philippines
Delivered by THE HONORABLE WIN GATCHALIAN, Senator of the 18th Congress:

Mr. President, distinguished colleagues, good afternoon.

Today, I am honored to sponsor House Bill No. 9658, which seeks to rename Pinaglabanan High School in Barangay Pinaglabanan in the Municipality of Goa, Province of Camarines Sur. Pinaglabanan High School, which became an independent secondary school in 2006, is situated at the foot of Mount Isarog. It caters to six barangays: Pinaglabanan, Balaynan, Digdigon, San Isidro West, and Pinamihagan. It is five kilometers away from the town proper and 4.5 kilometers away from Bicol State University. Should this measure become law, the renamed school will be known as Pinaglabanan National High School.

Let me just put on record that while we are seeking to rename Pinaglabanan High School, it is already included in the General Appropriations Act. It has its own budget and plantilla to ensure efficient delivery of education programs and services, as well as the adequacy of facilities for learning.

The Department of Education has certified that this proposed measure complies with the applicable DepEd issuance, which is DepEd Order No. 40 series of 2014 titled "Establishment, Merging, Conversion, and Naming/Renaming of Public Schools, and Separation of Public School Annexes in Basic Education."

DepEd Order No. 40 recognizes the authority of Congress to name or rename all public schools through legislation. It also retains the full force and effect of DepEd Order No. 29 series of 2011 or the "Revised Guidelines on Naming and Renaming of Schools".

Since the proposed measure satisfies the guidelines set forth by the DepEd, I humbly seek this august chamber's support for the immediate passage of this measure.

Thank you, Mr. President.