EDCOM 2 bill seeks to expand nominations for teachers board, require refresher course for teacher exams


A new bill filed in the House of Representatives by EDCOM 2 Co-Chairpersons Rep. Mark Go and Rep. Roman Romulo, and Commissioners Rep. Khalid Dimaporo, Rep. PJ Garcia, and Rep. Kiko Benitez seeks to expand the nomination pool for the Board of Professional Teachers, create more inclusive qualifications for the teacher licensure exam, and mandate a refresher course for applicants who have failed the exams thrice, among other amendments. 

House Bill No. 8559 seeks to amend Republic Act 7836, or the Philippine Teachers Professionalization Act, enacted in 1994, which created the Board for Professional Teachers under the supervision of the Philippine Regulation Commission. 

The bill was recently identified by the EDCOM 2 as one of its key priority measures for its first year, given the need to improve the alignment between the PRC, CHED, and DepEd.

Expanding the nomination pool for the Board of Professional Teachers

HB 8559 seeks to widen the nomination for the members of the Board of Professional Teachers by including the Teachers Education Council (TEC), Department of Education (DepEd), accredited association of private schools and school administrators, and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) in the selection of nominees. This is in addition to the “accredited association of teachers” prescribed under the current law. 

More inclusive qualifications for special needs, technology and livelihood, other subjects

HB 8559 also proposes additional academic qualifications for applicants who will take the licensure examination for teachers, including the following:

  • Special needs teachers in the elementary and secondary grades, a bachelor’s degree in special needs in education;
  • Technology and livelihood education (TLE) teachers in the elementary and secondary grades, a bachelor’s degree in Technology and Livelihood Education (BTLED);
  • TLE teachers in grades 9-10, SHS teachers for the Tech-Voc Livelihood Track, TVET trainers/instructors, and faculty members in higher education institutions, a bachelor’s degree in Technical-Vocational Teacher Education (BTVTED); 
  • Physical Education Teachers in the elementary and secondary grades, a bachelor’s degree in Physical Education;
  • Teachers in the secondary grades, specifically SHS under the arts and design track, a bachelor’s degree in Culture and Arts Education (BCAED)

Refresher course for applicants who have failed thrice

HB 8559 adds a requirement to complete a refresher course in a CHED-recognized Teacher Education Institute if the applicant has previously failed to pass the written examination for teachers three times. The refresher course must be completed before being allowed to retake the examination. 

“The proposed amendments seeks to improve and attune the provisions of RA 7836 with the prevailing situation and needs of the education sector and to further meet the objectives set by the law”, the explanatory note to the bill reads.

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