Senator Gatchalian Calls for Reforms in Textbook Procurement to Boost Learner Performance

MANILA — Senator Sherwin Gatchalian announced on Wednesday his intent to propose amendments to the Book Publishing Industry Development Act (Republic Act No. 8047), aiming to streamline the procurement of textbooks for basic education learners.

According to Philippines News Agency, the proposed changes would liberalize the textbook procurement process, reducing the logistical burdens and lengthy bidding procedures that currently delay the distribution of learning materials. Gatchalian emphasized the connection between timely access to textbooks and student performance, noting, “If only our Grade 5 and 6 learners have complete textbooks, we cannot expect so much from our learners to perform well because the basic learning material is non-existent.”

Gatchalian, who chairs the Senate Committee on Basic Education, estimated that about PHP28 billion—roughly 4 percent of the Department of Education’s (DepEd) budget of over PHP700 billion—would be necessary annually to achieve a one-to-one student-textbook ratio. Despite this financial commitment, the senator highlighted ongoing inefficiencies that often extend the textbook procurement process to three years, significantly beyond the intended 180-day period.

The senator’s call for reform comes after his panel identified multiple issues within the current system, including inadequate development timelines, high costs of participation, protracted review processes, and pricing inconsistencies. He suggested that the DepEd could consider adopting a system similar to Japan’s Textbook Authorization Research Council, which helps streamline textbook accreditation and compliance, potentially alleviating several procurement and delivery bottlenecks faced in the Philippines.