IRR of RA 11625: Lunday Nat'l HS Conversion

Legal basis, relationship to DepEd laws

The IRR is issued “pursuant to Section 4 of Republic Act No. 11625.”
Section 2 aligns IRR implementation with the State mandate under Article XIV of the 1987 Constitution.
Section 2 requires consistency with the framework for basic education governance under Republic Act No. 9155 (Governance of Basic Education Act of 2001).
Section 2 also requires compliance with the curriculum structure and standards under Republic Act No. 10533 (Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013), and all other education-related laws enacted thereafter.
The IRR’s operationalization and management provisions are anchored on DepEd governance, including School-Based Management (SBM) under DepEd Order (DO) 45, s. 2015.

Purpose and governing rationale

The IRR primarily applies to the administration, organization, and procedures for operating the Lunday National High School (LNHS).
The IRR’s governing purpose is to achieve the LNHS’s function of offering a complete secondary education program.
The IRR is required to carry out the State’s educational mandate while achieving higher learning outcomes consistent with basic education governance authority under Republic Act No. 9155.
The IRR is required to be compliant with the program structure, policies, and standards of basic education under Republic Act No. 10533.
The IRR frames LNHS operations around DepEd systems, minimum service standards, and learner- and teacher-needs.

Core separation and conversion rules

Section 3 separates the Sibuco National High School - Lunday Annex located in Barangay Lunday, Municipality of Sibuco, Province of Zamboanga del Norte from the Sibuco National High School.
Section 3 converts the separated annex into an independent national high school known as Lunday National High School (LNHS).
Section 4 transfers all personnel, assets, liabilities, and records of the Sibuco National High School - Lunday Annex to and absorbs them by the LNHS.
The conversion establishes LNHS as an operating school institution under DepEd’s basic education framework for public secondary education services.
The LNHS must be operationalized through DepEd expenditure planning and information systems inclusion under the IRR’s management provisions.

LNHS administration, staffing, and organization

Section 6 requires DepEd to immediately include LNHS in its program of expenditures for purposes of operationalization under Section 3 of the Act.
DepEd must ensure provision of basic education inputs necessary for LNHS operations that comply with minimum service standards and are appropriate to the needs of learners and teachers.
Section 6 defines basic education inputs to include adequate instructional rooms such as academic classrooms, computer room, science laboratory, and workshop room, and ancillary facilities like multi-purpose rooms, library, and clinic.
Section 6 also includes other inputs such as instructional materials, tools, equipment, furniture, and water and sanitation facilities required for public secondary education delivery.
Section 6 requires DepEd inclusion of LNHS in the Enhanced Basic Education Information System (EBEIS), the Learner Information System (LIS), and other DepEd management information systems.
Section 7 provides that LNHS’s school head must be appointed and compensated according to Republic Act No. 9155, Civil Service laws, and other applicable laws, rules, and guidelines.
Section 7 requires the school head to act as both an instructional leader and an administrative manager, forming a team with school teachers/learning facilitators and leading non-teaching staff for administrative, fiscal, and auxiliary services.
Section 8 requires DepEd to create items and recruit/deploy the necessary teaching and non-teaching personnel for LNHS, consistent with DepEd guidelines on authorized manpower and staffing complement, including hiring of teachers and Learning Support Aides (LSAs).
Section 8 requires the teaching and non-teaching team formation to align with guidelines and standards of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), the Civil Service Commission (CSC), and other relevant government agencies.
Section 9 requires LNHS to implement DepEd’s basic education curriculum in accordance with the standards and principles under Section 10, Rule II of the IRR of RA 10533 and other pertinent DepEd issuances.
Section 10 requires LNHS performance to be closely monitored and reported by the concerned DepEd division and regional offices under SBM and operationalization systems for public basic education schools.

School head authority and functions

The school head of LNHS must set the school’s mission, vision, goals, and objectives.
The school head must create an environment in the school conducive to teaching and learning.
The school head must implement the school curriculum and be accountable for higher learning outcomes.
The school head must develop the school education program and the school improvement plan.
The school head must offer educational programs, projects, and services providing equitable opportunities for all learners in the community.
The school head must introduce new and innovative modes of instruction to achieve higher learning outcomes.
The school head must administer and manage all school personnel, physical, and fiscal resources.
The school head must recommend the school’s staffing complement based on school needs.
The school head must encourage staff development.
The school head must establish school and community networks and encourage active participation of teachers organizations, non-academic personnel of public schools, and parent-teachers community associations.
The school head must accept donations, gifts, bequests, and grants for upgrading teachers/learning facilitators’ competencies, improving and expanding school facilities, and providing instructional materials and equipment, with a requirement that donations or grants be reported to the appropriate district supervisors and division superintendents.
The school head must perform such other functions as may be assigned by proper authorities.

Definitions used in implementation

The “Act” refers to Republic Act No. 11625: “AN ACT SEPARATING THE SIBUCO NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL - LUNDAY ANNEX IN BARANGAY LUNDAY, MUNICIPALITY OF SIBUCO, PROVINCE OF ZAMBOANGA DEL NORTE FROM THE SIBUCO NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL, CONVERTING IT INTO AN INDEPENDENT NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL TO BE KNOWN AS LUNDAY NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL, AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR.”
“Learning Facilitator” has the meaning under Section 3(i) of RA 9155 as the key-learning support person responsible for supervising/facilitating the learner’s learning process and activities.
“Learning Support Aide (LSA)” means a person working with a teacher to provide learning opportunities that promote achievement and progression of learners, as defined under DepEd Order (DO) No. 32, s. 2020.
“Non-Teaching Personnel” means an employee not actually involved in classroom teaching but indirectly and indispensably assisting delivery of services to educational constituencies and clientele, including specified support roles such as Administrative Officer, Accountant, Personnel Officer, Supply Officer, Records Officer, and other support staff at central, regional, division, and school levels, as defined under Section 1.4(q) of the IRR of RA 9155.
“RA 9155” refers to “AN ACT INSTITUTING A FRAMEWORK OF GOVERNANCE FOR BASIC EDUCATION, ESTABLISHING AUTHORITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY, RENAMING THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, CULTURE AND SPORTS AS THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES,” also known as the Governance of Basic Education Act of 2001.
“RA 10533” refers to “AN ACT ENHANCING THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION SYSTEM BY STRENGTHENING ITS CURRICULUM AND INCREASING THE NUMBER OF YEARS FOR BASIC EDUCATION, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES,” also known as the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013.
“RA 11713” refers to “AN ACT FURTHER STRENGTHENING TEACHER EDUCATION IN THE PHILIPPINES BY ENHANCING THE TEACHER EDUCATION COUNCIL, ESTABLISHING A SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM FOR STUDENTS IN THE TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAM, INSTITUTIONALIZING THE NATIONAL EDUCATORS ACADEMY OF THE PHILIPPINES, AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7784, ENTITLED ‘AN ACT TO STRENGTHEN TEACHER EDUCATION IN THE PHILIPPINES BY ESTABLISHING CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE, CREATING A TEACHER EDUCATION COUNCIL FOR THE PURPOSE, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES’ otherwise known as the ‘Excellence in Teacher Education Act.’”
“School-Based Management (SBM)” means the decentralization of decision-making authority from Central, Regional, and Division levels to individual schools, in line with DepEd Order (DO) 45, s. 2015, to improve learning outcomes through effective schools.
“Teacher/Teaching Personnel” means a person qualified to practice teaching under Section 3(k) of RA 11713 and engaged in teaching under the law at the basic education level in private or public basic education institutions, and includes teachers who may not be actually employed as such; for purposes of the IRR, “teacher” may also refer to “teaching personnel.”

Funding, amendments, separability, and repeal

Section 11 requires the Secretary of Education to immediately include LNHS operationalization in the Department’s program.
Section 11 states that LNHS’s initial funding shall be charged against the current year’s appropriation of the Sibuco National High School - Lunday Annex.
Section 11 requires that after initial funding, the amount necessary for LNHS continued operation must be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.
Section 12 provides a separability rule: if any clause, sentence, paragraph, or part of the IRR is declared unconstitutional, the remaining provisions remain in full force and effect.
Section 13 provides that amendments to the IRR are promulgated by the Secretary of DepEd, and where applicable, in consultation with LNHS.
Section 14 repeals, rescinds, or modifies all DepEd Orders and other related issuances, rules, and regulations inconsistent with the IRR.