SEN. Sherwin Gatchalian has filed a bill seeking to establish a Philippine Online Library to allow students to have “free and undisrupted access” to digitized copies of textbooks and other learning materials.
Under Senate Bill No. 477 or the Philippine Online Library Act, the Department of Education will be mandated to create digitized copies of all textbooks and reference books it deems necessary for the public education of elementary and secondary students. These, according to the proposed legislation, will be compiled in the proposed Philippine Online Library, which shall be jointly managed by the DepEd and the Department of Information and Communications Technology.
Gatchalian, who chairs the Senate committee on basic education, said the creation of an online library will be a big boost to the government’s efforts to ensure continuity and help bridge learning gaps created by school disruptions, including the COVID-19 pandemic.
“While we return to face-to-face classes, our public libraries, one of the country’s pathways to educational resources, should remain pandemic-proof — ubiquitous and accessible — regardless of the geographical location and type of device used by the learners,” Gatchalian said.
A 2021 World Bank study showed that in a commissioned survey of low-income households, 95.5 percent used paper-based learning modules and materials when blended learning was implemented amid the pandemic.
Gatchalian said his proposed legislation mandates DepEd to provide computers, laptops, and other appropriate devices to all public elementary and secondary schools nationwide while the DICT shall provide free, reliable, and secure internet access to all public elementary and secondary schools.
