By Grace Bondad Nicolas

On May 9, 2012, during the second National Convention at the Bulwagang Balagtas in PUP Sta. Mesa, the AkapBata Party-List child welfare group launched E-Monitor 2012 (Enrollment and Education Monitor 2012). They launched E-Monitor 2012 as they urged the Department of Education to strictly implement its existing orders concerning its ‘no collection policy’ for enrollment in public elementary and high schools for school year 2012-2013. This campaign is a continuation of the successful GRADFEE MONITOR 2012, implemented against collection of graduation fees during the graduation season last March.

E-Monitor 2012 will accept complaints and reports from parents, guardians, and concerned citizens through the following:

Telephone: 02-4376831
Email: [email protected]
Facebook: Akap Bata Party-List
Twitter: @akap_bata_party

The campaign will run through to the opening of classes on June 4. This will also cover the monitoring of the initial implementation of the K+12 program in June. According to Secretary General Arlene Brosas, “We are calling on parents and guardians of enrolling students in public elementary and high schools this year not to hesitate to contact us for complaints and reports concerning collection of any fees required for enrollment of their children’s this school year. Rest assured that the identity of our callers will remain confidential.”

Brosas stressed, “As education remains one of the basic rights of every Filipino child, financial constraints must not be an obstacle for young Filipinos to be denied to access free, accessible and quality education. Our government must ensure that the ‘No Collection Policy’ will be strictly implemented, especially that enrollment is on-going on various public schools nationwide, and that the issue of fees as requirement for enrollment must be eliminated in order to ease the problem of the growing number of out-of-school children.”

Akap Bata Party-List cited various reiterations of DepEd’s existing orders and memorandums regarding the ‘no collection policy’: DepEd Order No. 65 series of 2010; DepEd Order No. 19, series of 2009; DepEd Order No. 19, series of 2008; DepEd Order No. 40, series of 2008; and DepEd Order No. 40, series of 2009, among others.

Author Grace Nicolas with Izabelle Enriquez and Rep. Teddy Casiño

Provisions in the aforementioned orders include the following:

• No fees shall be collected from school children enrolling in pre-school up to Grade 4 during the enrollment period and at any time during the school.
• For grade and year levels beyond Grade 4, no collection of any type should be undertaken during the enrollment period  and the first months of classes. Starting on the second month of every school year, contributions may be collected, but only on a voluntary basis. Such fees include Boy Scouts of the Philippines (50.00), Girl Scouts of the Philippines (50.00), Anti-TB Fund Drive (5.00), Parents-Teachers Association(to be determined by Board Directors), School Publications (60.00 for elementary and 90.00 for secondary students), Membership in Organizations (based on existing school policies).
• School administration and personnel violating the ‘no collection policy’ will be strictly dealt with, to face administrative charges under the Revised Rules of Procedure of the DepEd in Administrative Cases.

Bayan Muna representative Teddy Casino joined the May 9 event to show solidarity with Izabelle Palanca Enriquez from Para as Bansa. Almost 1,000 youth advocates from different sectors attended the event with Day Care workers from different provinces.