Bataan 1st District Representative Geraldine B. Roman filed a House Bill that calls for the establishment of Philippine Online Library.
Roman’s HB 5045 is known as the “Act Digitizing All Books for Public Education and Establishing the Philippine Online Library…”
“In an increasingly digitized world, creating globally-competitive Filipinos require a citizenry that is literate, insofar as utilizing information and communications technology is concerned,” Roman said.
She added that digitizing textbooks and establishing the Philippine Online Library creates more opportunities because students are able to enhance their learning experience, even while in remote provinces.
“As public servants, we must do all that we can to support our youth in their education. I believe that establishing the Philippine Online Library can be especially helpful for students who are in provinces so remote that constructing and maintaining quality library buildings are impractical,” she further reiterated.
Roman’s bill suggests that the Department of Education (DepEd) shall create a digitized copy of all textbooks and reference books it deems necessary for the public education of elementary and secondary students and be compiled in Philippine Online Library which shall be jointly managed by the Department of Education and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT).
It this Bill becomes a law, the DepEd will be tasked to ensure access to digitized copies of textbooks by providing computers to all primary and secondary public schools nationwide. Similarly, in order to ensure access to the digitized copies of the textbooks the DICT shall provide fast and reliable internet access to each primary and secondary public school. –Mhike R. Cigaral