REPUBLIC ACT NO. 11908, July 28, 2022

AN ACT MANDATING THE ESTABLISHMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PARENT EFFECTIVENESS SERVICE PROGRAM TO STRENGTHEN PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT IN THEIR CHILDREN'S DEVELOPMENT AND LEARNING AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:

Section 1.�Short Title. � This�Act�shall be known as "The Parent Effectiveness Service Program�Act."

SECTION 2.�Declaration of Policy. � It is the declared policy of the State to recognize the sanctity of family life, protect and strengthen the family as a basic autonomous social institution and foundation of the nation, strengthen its solidarity, and actively promote its total development. The right of families or family associations to participate in the planning and implementation of policies and programs that affect them shall be promoted.

It is further the policy of the State to defend the right of children to assistance, including proper care and nutrition, and special protection from all forms of neglect, abuse, cruelty, exploitation, and other conditions prejudicial to their development.

SECTION 3.�Coverage. � The Parent Effectiveness Service (PES) Program shall primarily cover fathers and mothers of children and parent-substitutes.

In implementing the PES Program, the local government units (LGUs) shall give priority to parents and/or parent-substitutes with vulnerable children, such as but not limited to children at risk, children in conflict with the law, and children who have been exposed to and/or involved in violence in the homes and communities, solo parents and/or their parent-substitutes, and adolescent parents and their parents, and/or parent-substitutes.

SECTION 4.�Definition of Terms. � As used in this�Act:

(a)�Child�refers to a person below eighteen (18) years of age or a person over eighteen (18) years but is unable to fully take care or protect oneself from abuse, neglect, cruelty, exploitation, or discrimination because of physical or psychosocial disability or condition;

(b)�Module�refers to a component subject consisting of a written material to be taught in a specified�number�of sessions that, together with other modules, shall count towards the completion of the PES Program;

(c)�PES Program�refers to a program on the provision and expansion of knowledge and skills of parents and parent-substitutes on parenting to be able to respond to parental duties and responsibilities on the areas of early childhood development, behavior management of younger and older children, husband-wife relationships, prevention of child abuse, health care, and other challenges of parenting. It assists parents and parent-substitutes to develop and strengthen their knowledge and skills so they can assume the major educational role in their child's growth and development;

(d)�Parent-Substitute�refers to a person other than the biological parent who has custody over a child and is primarily responsible for his/her care, and physical, moral and intellectual development, such as foster care parents, legal guardians and care providers:�Provided, That surrogate parents and care providers shall secure a certification from the proper office of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) confirming him/her as a parent-substitute; and

(e)�Surrogate Parent�refers to any adult member of the family or extended family or a caregiver who chose to�act�as a substitute parent to a child not legally under his/her parental authority or care.

SECTION 5.�Establishment of the PES Program. � There is hereby established a PES Program to assist all parents and parent-substitutes in strengthening their knowledge and skills in responding to their parental duties and responsibilities, protect and promote children's rights, foster positive early childhood development, and advance their educational progress. The PES Program shall be implemented in every city and municipality and shall consist of modules to be developed by the DSWD, in coordination with the Department of Education (DepEd), the Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) Council, the School Governing Councils (SGCs), the Department of Health (DOH), the Department of Justice (DOJ), and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), and rolled out in such�number�of sessions as the DSWD and the LGUs may prescribe. Subject to modifications by the concerned LGUs to adapt to local context, the core of the modules shall be consistent with existing laws and shall embody the following principles:

(a)�Parents and Parent-Substitutes and their Roles and Needs. � This aims to provide participants with a deeper understanding of their different roles, needs, responsibilities, and joy as parents and parent-substitutes by going through lessons that enrich their understanding of themselves as parents and guardians. Facilitators will help participants identify individual strengths and weaknesses, describe factors that affect the characteristics of their personhood, ascertain the divergent needs of married parents, solo parents, grandparents, and other guardians in the family, and clarify family values and goals aligned with strengthening their role as parents who are the best people to support all aspects of their children's growth and development, among others;

(b)�The Filipino Family. � This aims to give an overview of family dynamics in the Philippine context. Facilitators will help participants understand the importance, functions, and characteristics of the family, and inform them of the family's strengths and weaknesses to enable them to reflect building on their strengths to address their weaknesses so that they can be responsible members of the community, among others;

(c)�Challenges of Parenting. � This aims to provide participants with a more in-depth understanding of the obstacles that will be faced by parents and how stronger parenting skills will be able to address them. Innovations, technology, changes in values, and issues brought about by globalization and social media may be considered as challenges;

(d)�Child Development. � This aims to provide participants with a proper understanding of child growth and development, age-appropriate and development-appropriate interventions, different learning avenues for children, and domains of child development. This shall likewise include the importance of encouraging parents and parent-substitutes to fully support their children's cognitive development, most importantly their skills on reading, mathematics, science, and development;

(e)�Keeping Children Safe from Abuse. � This aims to prevent child abuse by educating parents about the rights of their children and familiarizing them with risk factors of warning signs of abuse in children. It shall present the basic principles on laws relevant to violence and abuse against children and how to report incidents thereon to the proper government authorities;

(f)�Building the Child's Positive Behavior. � This aims to improve parental understanding of child behavior and promote and support the development and socialization of the child. Basic theories on child behavior, character development, and factors that can positively or negatively affect the same shall be discussed;

(g)�Health and Nutrition. � This aims to provide adequate information on common health and nutrition needs of children, including reproductive health concerns, common childhood diseases, basic nutrition principles, and growth monitoring;

(h)�Home Management. � This aims to provide participants with practical ideas on how to manage their respective households through proper time, financial, and stress management;

(i)�Keeping a Healthy Physical Environment for the Child. � This aims to show the importance of maintaining clean physical environments to building a strong household. Waste management and community environmental management efforts shall be discussed;

(j)�Keeping Children Safe in Times of Disasters. � This aims to provide training on child-centered disaster risk reduction and management strategies to prepare and equip parents and parent-substitutes in preventing, mitigating, and coping with risks caused by disasters; and

(k)�Investment in Adolescents. � Adolescence is the developmental period during which a dependent child grows into an independent adult. This module aims to help parents and parent-substitutes to navigate their children's risks and vulnerabilities and set them on the path to fulfill their potential. Risks and vulnerabilities may include, but not limited to, dropping out of school, identity crisis, gender confusion, hormonal changes, exposure to drugs, early marriage and pregnancies. Parents and parent-substitutes shall be capacitated on how to empower their children by preparing them for adulthood and citizenship, and investing in their well-being, holistic development, and active participation in society.

The DSWD shall regularly review and update the foregoing principles to keep abreast with the developments on responsible and effective parenting and may develop and prescribe additional modules as may be necessary.

The LGUs may design and contextualize their own modules as they deem appropriate, taking into consideration the needs and challenges of the families in the communities under their respective jurisdictions, and the progress and result of the PES Program implementation:�Provided, That such modifications are consistent with existing laws.

SECTION 6.�Research Methods, Analytical Framework, and Assessment of the PES Program. � To continuously and effectively improve the design and implementation of the PES Program, the DSWD, in coordination with the DepEd, the ECCD Council, the SGCs, the DOH, the DOJ, and the DILG through the LGUs, shall conduct research focused on effective and evidence-based policies and best practices on parent effectiveness, child welfare, child development, adolescence, family, health, education, and social protection, among others.

An analytical framework shall be established to determine how parent effectiveness and child development are interrelated. The analytical framework shall be utilized, among others, to gauge the use of resources, evaluate the efficiency, understand the forms and drivers of change and the linkages between certain programmatic features and outcomes, and assess the sustainability of the PES Program.

The LGUs shall continuously evaluate the effectiveness of the PES Program by devising data-driven metrics, including but not limited to, the participation rate of the parents and parent-substitutes in the PES Program and the result of the children's feedback of their parents and parent-substitutes.

SECTION 7.�Implementing Tools for the PES Program. � The PES Program, particularly the parent effectiveness sessions, shall be implemented by the cities and municipalities through their respective social welfare and development offices and LGUs. Parent effectiveness sessions shall be conducted in every barangay at such schedule and interval to be determined by the social welfare and the LGU officers concerned. For this purpose, the officers shall, on an annual basis, prepare and submit to the local chief executive a complete program and schedule of the parent effectiveness sessions covering all barangays of their respective jurisdictions.

Reaching parents to facilitate and share skills and knowledge about parenting and support to learning may include home visits which may be effective to recognize, respect, and build on existing strengths of parents and parent-substitutes.

The DSWD and the LGUs are encouraged to develop other training mechanisms that can be used in the implementation of the PES Program, such as home and modular training packages that can be deployed through social media.

Distance PES Program may likewise be used as a tool to raise awareness about the importance of responsible and effective parenting within the broader community. Private organizations accredited by the DSWD may also implement the PES Program in coordination with the concerned LGU.

The PES Program conducted pursuant to this�Act�shall constitute as full and complete compliance with the PES component incorporated under Republic Act No. 10410, otherwise known as the "Early Years Act (EYA) of 2013," and such other government programs mandating the delivery of the PES Program as requisite for program coverage and entitlement.

SECTION 8.�Implementing Agencies and Organizations and their Responsibilities. � The implementation of the PES Program shall be the joint responsibility of the national government agencies, LGUs, nongovernment organizations, and other private organizations that promote parental and community involvement in the child's learning and development.

The DSWD shall be primarily responsible for promoting, strengthening, and enhancing the well-being of Filipino families by providing integrated, comprehensive and developmental services in a fair, just and peaceful society. The DSWD shall regularly review and update its programs to support parents and parent-substitutes.

The DepEd, the ECCD Council, the SGCs, and the DOH shall incorporate important principles on social services, early education, learning and holistic development, health, and nutrition in the PES Program and provide supplementary learning materials and reference materials thereon. The DepEd shall integrate age-appropriate content related to the core principles provided in Section 5 of this�Act�in the basic education curriculum.

The DOJ shall ensure that the PES Program shall be guided by the principles of non-discrimination, best interests of the child, and the right of the child to life. It shall also guarantee the legal protection of all children.

The DILG shall recognize the LGUs which are outstanding in the implementation of the PES Program by providing an annual recognition and a mechanism for their modules to be replicated or adopted by other LGUs.

The LGUs shall coordinate with the relevant government agencies to ensure the implementation of the PES Program. They may collaborate with the DepEd's Schools Division Offices in providing facilities for the conduct thereof. The LGUs shall likewise provide incentives to parents and parent-substitutes who actively participated or garnered high evaluation rates from their children in the PES Program.

The families and communities shall support the PES Program by participating in various projects for the overall development of their children.

SECTION 9.�Capacity-Building. � The DSWD, the DepEd, the DOH, the DOJ, the DILG, and LGUs shall assist the cities and municipalities in developing the required competencies of facilitators. Based on a set criteria developed by the abovementioned agencies, the Local Social Welfare and Development Offices shall identify a pool of facilitators trained in the required competencies who shall include, but is not limited to, parents and parent-substitutes, educational psychologists, health professionals, social workers, teachers, accredited private organizations, and other paraprofessionals.

The capacity-building shall focus on the important skills that must be possessed by facilitators such as the ability to connect with families in a way that is mutually respectful and reciprocal, set goals with families, prepare them to adopt behaviors and engage in activities that enhance children's development and early learning, promote the rights of the child, and prevent child abuse, among others.

For the LGUs and their personnel, capacity-building shall focus on the monitoring and evaluation of the PES Program in terms of facilities, modules, and competence assessment of the facilitators, among others. LGUs shall likewise designate their respective personnel to be trained to gather, analyze, and interpret data and establish a comprehensive action plan for a more effective implementation of the PES Program.

SECTION 10.�Development and Production of PES Manuals. � The DSWD, in coordination with the DepEd and the ECCD Council, the DOH, the DOJ, and the DILG through the LGUs shall, within three (3) months from the effectivity of this�Act, develop and produce the PES Module Manuals to be utilized by the facilitators in conducting the parent effectiveness sessions, subject to modifications by the concerned LGUs for local adaptation.

The assigned government agencies shall also harmonize existing modules gathered from, but not limited to the PES, family development sessions, and Family Support Program, to help in enhancing the PES Module Manuals.

SECTION 11.�Advocacy Campaigns and Information Dissemination. � The DSWD, in cooperation with relevant agencies, shall regularly conduct public awareness campaign which would promote the benefits and the advantages of the PES Program to parents, surrogate parents, and care providers through local training programs in the communities and the use of trimedia and social media platforms.

SECTION 12.�Appropriations. � For the first year of its implementation, the funds necessary to carry out the responsibilities delegated to the DSWD, the DepEd, the ECCD Council, the DOH, the DOJ, and the DILG shall be sourced from their current appropriations. Thereafter, the funds necessary for the continuing implementation of the mandate under this�Act�shall be included in the annual General Appropriations�Act.

The costs for conducting the parent effectiveness sessions and other expenses relevant thereto shall be charged against the respective appropriations of the cities and municipalities or the Special Education Fund, as the case may be.

SECTION 13.�Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR). � Within sixty (60) days from the effectivity of this�Act, the DSWD, in coordination with the DepEd, the ECCD Council, the DOH, the DOJ, and the DILG, shall issue the rules and regulations for the effective implementation of this�Act.

The IRR issued pursuant to this section shall take effect thirty (30) days after its publication in a newspaper of general circulation.

SECTION 14.�Separability Clause. � If any part or provision of this�Act�is declared invalid or unconstitutional, the remaining parts or provisions not affected shall remain in full force and effect.

SECTION 15.�Repealing Clause. � All other laws, presidential decrees, executive orders, administrative orders, rules and regulations, issuances, or parts thereof contrary to or inconsistent with the provisions of this�Act�are hereby repealed, amended, or modified accordingly.

SECTION 16.�Effectivity. � Notwithstanding the non-issuance of the IRR, this�Act�shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the�Official Gazette�or in a newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,�

This Act was passed by the Senate of the Philippines as Senate Bill No. 2399 on May 23,2022 and adopted by the House of Representatives as an amendment to House Bill No. 8559 on May 23, 2022.

Approved: Lapsed into law on JUL 28 2022 without the signature of the President, in accordance with Article VI Section 27 (1) of the Constitution.

(SGD.) RODRIGO ROA DUTERTE
��� President of the Philippines