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1.     For the information  and guidance  of all concerned,  enclosed  is a copy  of the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act (RA) No. 10618  entitled  An  Act  Establishing   Rural  Farm  Schools  as  Alternative Delivery Mode of Secondary Education and Appropriating Funds Therefor, otherwise known as Rural Farm Schools Act.

2.     Pursuant  to Section  34  (Effectivity  Clause)  of the  IRR  of the  Rural  Farm Schools Act, this Order shall take effect 15 days after its publication in the Official Gazette or a newspaper of general circulation.

3.     All DepEd  Orders  and  other  related  issuances,  rules  and  regulations  and provisions  which are inconsistent with these guidelines are hereby repealed, rescinded, or modified accordingly.

4.     Immediate dissemination of and strict compliance with this Order is directed.




Pursuant to Section 16 of Republic Act No. 10618 (An Act Establishing Rural Farm   Schools   as   Alternative Delivery Mode   of   Secondary   Education   and Appropriating Funds Therefor), the following Rules and Regulations are hereby issued:


Section 1. Scope and Application. These Rules and Regulations shall apply to all  public  and  private  secondary  schools  which  offer  the  rural  farm  school program.

Section 2. Declaration of Policy. It is hereby declared the policy of the State to protect and promote the right of all citizens to quality education at all levels and take appropriate steps to make such education accessible to all. Further to this, the  State  shall  establish,  maintain  and  support  a  complete,  adequate  and integrated system of education relevant to the needs of the people and society and encourage nonformal, informal and indigenous learning systems, as well as self-learning,  independent  and  out-of-school  study  programs  particularly  those that respond to community needs.

The State shall likewise promote sustainable agricultural productivity and rural development   by  empowering   the  human  capital  in  the  countryside   through access to avenues of learning suited to the needs and realities of the rural agricultural communities.

In furtherance of the principles of social justice and social equity, the State shall provide   the  necessary   support   to  the  beneficiaries   of  the  Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) including, but not limited to, the provision of access to a broad range of educational opportunities to their children.

Section 3. Definition of Terms. For purposes of these Rules and Regulations, the following terms shall mean or be understood as follows:

a)   Act  refers  to  Republic  Act  No. 10618 entitled  “An  Act  Establishing  Rural Farm Schools as Alternative Delivery Mode of Secondary Education and Appropriating Funds Therefor),” otherwise known as the Rural Farm Schools Act.

b)   Alternative Delivery Mode refers to the nontraditional education program recognized by the Department of Education (DepED) which applies a flexible learning  philosophy  and  a  curricular  delivery  program  that  includes  non- formal and informal sources of knowledge and skills.

Alternative Delivery Modes also refer to tried and tested alternative modalities of education delivery within the confines of the formal system that allow schools to deliver quality education to marginalized students and those at risk of dropping out in order to help them overcome personal, social and economic constraints in their schooling.

An alternative delivery mode may include the use of facilitator-aided and interactive self-instructional print and audio-based learning materials, video tapes,  face-to-face  structured  learning  groups,  semi-structured  and unstructured   discussions,   one-on-one   tutorials,   study   groups   and   self- learning groups, demonstration sessions, home visits, mentoring and remediation.

c)   Rural Farm School refers to a parallel learning system and an alternative delivery   mode   of  secondary   education.   It  provides   for  facilitative   and experiential   learning   on  the  core  subjects   of  the  secondary   education curriculum with focus on agri-fisheries, designed to address the needs of children in rural, agricultural, and fishing communities.

This may be classified into:

1.   Public Rural Farm School refers to a rural farm school operated by the government or any of its political subdivisions; and

2.   Private Rural Farm School refers to a rural farm school operated by a private entity, a non-government organization or a farm association. This is a school which is not funded by the government or any of its political subdivisions.

d)   Family  Enterprise  Project  refers to a study or research  submitted  by the student  at  the  end/  culmination  of  his/her  formation  in  the  Family  Farm School to improve the family enterprise and family income. It is presented by the student and his/her family to a panel of experts to further improve  the project. This is implemented afterwards by the student’s family.

e)   School Governing  Council refers to a committee composed of the school head  or  his/her  representative,  parents,  teachers,  and  representatives  of other government agencies mentioned in the Act.

RULE II. ESTABLISHMENT  OF RURAL FARM SCHOOLS

Section 4. Establishment  of Public Rural Farm Schools. Within one (1) year after the effectivity of these Rules and Regulations, the DepED shall encourage the establishment  of at least one (1) public rural farm school in every province. The  DepED  shall  select  among  the  identified  public  high  schools  in  each province  a school which may offer the rural farm school program.  The DepED shall give priority  to existing  agricultural  and fishery  schools.  However,  a new rural farm school may also be established.

The DepED shall articulate the curriculum standards and policies on the operation and management of the public rural farm schools.

The DepED shall conduct assessment of all existing public secondary agricultural   and  fishery  schools  and  family  farm  schools  to  determine   the capability  and  readiness  of  the  said  schools  to  implement  the  program  in  a particular province.

Section  5. Criteria in Determining  Public Schools  that May Implement  the Rural  Farm  School  Program.  The  criteria  in determining  public  schools  that may offer the rural farm school program shall include but shall not be limited to the following:

a)   Must be outside the thirty-kilometer radius of an existing rural farm school;

b)   Must  have  qualified  teachers/tutors  as  defined  by  the  Act  and  technical support   staff,  instructional   classrooms,   laboratories,   and  other  facilities related to the program;

c)    Must  have  a  memorandum  of  agreement  with  the  local  government  unit
(LGU) and other existing partners; and

d)   Must have an established school governing council.

Section   6.  Staffing   Pattern   and   Salary   of  Public   Rural   Farm   School Personnel.  The  following  shall  be the staffing  complement  of the public  rural farm schools:

a)  School Head/Principal. Every rural farm school shall have a school head/principal to oversee its operations, management and school-community coordination. The school head shall be tasked to implement action plans to secure the participation of the community and devise a tool for home-school collaboration.

b)   Teachers/tutors. The teachers/ tutors of the rural farm school are specialists in their fields of study and have undergone appropriate training in Rural Farm School   Pedagogy.   They   shall   act   as   teachers,   guidance   counselors, mentors,  rural  developers,  livelihood  project  proponents,  marketing specialists  and/or  project  consultants,  as  the  case  may  be.  They  shall establish a working partnership with the parents by conducting parent-tutor dialogues, mentoring and parent workshops.

c)    Administrative staff. They are the academic and support staff of the school.
They shall assist their immediate  supervisors  by carrying  out basic clerical tasks such as typing correspondence,  sending out emails and faxes, making copies,  sorting  the mail and other  related  functions.  They  may  also  be in charge  of the  office  equipment  and  supplies,  including,  but  not  limited  to keeping  inventory  of office supplies  and ensuring  that office machines  are kept  in  working  order.  They  may  also  handle  additional  clerical responsibilities such as keeping employee attendance records, printing and sorting payroll checks, preparing recruiting materials and other related tasks.

d)   Technical  Staff.  They  are  the  agriculture  and  fishery  technicians  of  the school. They shall perform tasks related but not limited to machine repair and maintenance, physical plant preparation, and occupational safety standards implementation.

The abovementioned personnel of the public rural farm school shall perform their corresponding duties and responsibilities based on the approved Civil Service qualifications standards. Said personnel shall likewise receive their monthly basic salary based on the compensation  prescribed under the Salary Standardization Law, as amended, in addition to other benefits prescribed by law.

Section 7. Establishment of Private Rural Farm Schools. Notwithstanding the provisions  of  the 2010 Revised  Manual  of  Regulations  for  Private  Schools  in

Basic Education, the following requirements for the establishment of private rural farm schools are:

a)   Family  farm  association  duly  registered  with  the Securities  and Exchange Commission (SEC);

b)   Board Resolution of the family farm school association indicating adherence to the four (4) pillars of the family farm school system;

c)    Membership  in a recognized  national  federation  of family  farm  schools  to assist  the association  in curriculum  development/contextualization,  training of school head and academic staff, capacity-building for administrative and technical staff, among others; and

d)   Recognition and accreditation by DepED.

After   the   effectivity   of   these   Rules   and   Regulations,   the   DepED,   in consultation   with   other   government   agencies   and  the  recognized   national federation of family farm schools, shall issue the necessary guidelines for the establishment of a private rural farm school.

Section 7.1. Use of Four Pillars of Formation  in Establishing  Private Rural Farm Schools. A private rural farm school may use the following four (4) pillars of formation:  Alternance  System,  Responsible  Association,  Integral  Formation, and Rural Development.

Alternance System refers to a system of formation wherein students have periods of learning in both the school and the family enterprise. The periods can be in a ratio of 1:1 or 1:2 in favor of the family enterprise.

Responsible Association or Family Farm Association refers to an organization  composed  of  families,  institutions  and  professionals  of  the  rural area. Its task is to be the frontliner in the development of the community through youth and community formations.

Integral Formation refers to a comprehensive formation plan for the professional, intellectual, human, social, moral, and spiritual development of the individual learner.

Rural or Community Development is the long term goal of the rural farm schools. There is development when people are formed in the human values and virtues of cooperation, hard work and judicious use of natural resources. Socio- economic  development  is seen  when  their  source  of income  is improved  and civic consciousness is strengthened.

Section   8.  Staffing   Pattern   and  Salary   of  Private   Rural  Farm  School Personnel.  The  following  shall  be the staffing  complement  of the public  rural farm schools:

a)   School Head/Academic Head refers to the school head/principal as defined in Rule II, Section 6 (a) of this IRR. The school head/academic head shall be tasked  to  facilitate  the  tutors’  participation   in  professional   development activities primarily, training in the Family Farm School pedagogy, including technical skills training and extension services by the DepED, the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), and the Department of Agriculture (DA). The academic head shall also ensure that the curricular program based on the Family Farm School pedagogy is properly implemented and adequate educational resources are available and accessible to the students.

b)   Teachers/ tutors refer to teachers/tutors of the private rural farm school are specialists  in their fields as defined in Rule II, Section 6 (b) of these Rules and Regulations.

c)    Administrative  staff refers to the academic and support staff of the school.
They shall assist their immediate  supervisors  by carrying  out basic clerical tasks such as typing correspondence,  sending out emails and faxes, making copies,  sorting  the mail and other  related  functions.  They  may  also  be in charge  of the  office  equipment  and  supplies,  including,  but  not  limited  to keeping  inventory  of office supplies  and ensuring  that office machines  are kept  in  working  order.  They  may  also  handle  additional  clerical responsibilities such as keeping employee attendance records, printing and sorting  payroll  checks,  preparing  recruitment  materials  and  other  related tasks.

d)   Technical  Staff  refers  to  the  agriculture  and  fishery  technicians  of  the school. They shall perform tasks related but not limited to machine repair and maintenance, physical plant preparation, and occupational safety standards implementation.

The salaries and other benefits of private rural farm school personnel shall be based on the standards prescribed by the Labor Code, as amended.

Section  9.  Basic  Qualification  Standards  for  Teachers/Tutors. Notwithstanding the provisions of the Implementing Rules and Regulations of Republic Act No. 10533 (Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013), the following qualifications may be considered in the hiring of rural farm school teachers/tutors:

a)   National Certification from TESDA;

b)   Certification for a Farm School Teacher who has undergone the farm school pedagogical training as approved by the DepED.

Section  10. Fees. The public rural farm schools shall be free from tuition and other school fees, except those fees authorized by the DepED. Private rural farm schools  shall set minimal  tuition  and other fees subject  to the approval  of the DepED.   The   relatives   of   CARP   beneficiaries   up   to   the   third   degree   of consanguinity in the descending line shall be exempt from payment of the fees.

RULE III. STUDENTS

Section 11. Eligible Students. Graduates of elementary school education, regardless of age, shall be eligible to enroll in the rural farm schools for their secondary education.

Section 12. EGASTPE Beneficiaries.  All accredited private rural farm schools, their mentors or facilitators and students shall be eligible for subsidies under Republic Act No. 6728, as amended by Republic Act No. 8545, or the “Expanded Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education Act”.

Section  13. Priority  for CARP  and  Agri-Fishery  Beneficiaries.  Relatives  of CARP beneficiaries up to the third degree of consanguinity in the descending line shall   be   given   priority   in   admission   when   the   rural   farm   school   cannot accommodate all of those applying for enrollment.

CARP Beneficiaries   refer   to   farmers   or   their   kin   who   had   received certificates  of  land  ownership  award  (CLOA)  or  emancipation  patents  under Republic Act No. 6657, as amended, otherwise known as the “Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law of 1988” and Presidential Decree No. 27 (Decreeing the Emancipation of Tenants from the Bondage of the Soil, Transferring to Them the Ownership of the Land they Till and Providing the Instruments and Mechanism Therefor).

Agri-fishery beneficiaries refer to the children of farmers and fisherfolk identified and recognized by accredited farmers and fisherfolk in the locality.

Agrarian Reform Community refers to a barangay or cluster of barangays where a critical mass of agrarian reform beneficiaries is situated. It also refers to a barangay at the minimum or a cluster of contiguous barangays where there is a critical   mass   of   farmers   or   farm   workers   who   are   beneficiaries   of   the government’s agrarian development program which includes land tenure improvement and effective delivery of agrarian support services for rural development.

Section 14. Students from Disadvantaged Sectors. Priority shall be given to learners from the disadvantaged sectors, namely: farmer-peasant, artisanal fisherfolk,  workers  in  the  formal  sector  and  migrant  workers,  workers  in  the informal  sector,  indigenous  peoples  and  cultural  communities,  women, differently-abled  persons,  senior  citizens,  victims  of  calamities  and  disasters, youth and students, children and the urban poor who have relocated to the rural areas.

RULE IV. CURRICULUM AND TEACHING METHODOLOGY

Section 15. Curriculum. The curriculum of the rural farm school shall follow the core secondary curriculum of the DepED and themes duly identified by the local family farm/ rural association and community as their learning needs. There will be  a  focus  on  agri-fishery,  forestry,  farm  entrepreneurship,  community development,  education  for  sustainable  development,  and  other  community- specific topics.

The last two (2) academic years in the rural farm school educational system shall focus on integrative learning across all subject disciplines in the curriculum, with emphasis on farm entrepreneurship theory and practice and its promotion as a tool in cultivating local entrepreneurs.  The curriculum may be embedded with the  appropriate   TESDA   training   regulations   in  agriculture   and/or   fisheries, depending on the local community needs thereby revitalizing rural economics and repopulating rural communities.

Farm Entrepreneurship or Agricultural Entrepreneurship refers to the systematic  integration  of  finance,  business  and  agriculture  to  facilitate community-based business ventures across the value chain of agricultural commodities or enterprises. It is a process of identifying, starting and managing a farm business or enterprise, sourcing and organizing the required resources and taking both the risks and rewards associated with the venture. In this type of entrepreneurship,  the farm is considered  as a means  of generating  income  to support decently the farm family.

Section 16. Use of Alternative Delivery Mode for the Rural Farm School Program. The alternance system of formation or other alternative delivery modes as approved by the DepED may be used in the curriculum implementation of the rural  farm  school  program.  Assessment  of  student  learning  in  the  rural  farm school program shall be in accordance with the existing guidelines of the DepED.

The DepED may also enter into partnerships with private rural farm school associations or other learning institutions in the implementation of the public rural farm school program.

Section 17. Assessment of Performance of Schools Offering the Rural Farm School Program. The DepED shall assess both public and private secondary schools offering the rural farm school program based on the existing curriculum and service standards through existing program monitoring and evaluation mechanism across different levels of education governance.

RULE V. SKILLS TRAINING AND EXTENSION SUPPORT TO RURAL FARM SCHOOLS

Section  18.  Skills  Training  and  Extension  Support  for  Tutors  of  Rural  Farm Schools. The DepED, DAR, DA, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and ATI shall provide continuous technical skills training and provision of teaching and learning materials including, but not limited to books, student workbooks, teaching guides, prerequisite equipment and tools on the subjects offered, and other extension services to the tutors of rural farm schools.

The TESDA shall assist in the training, assessment  and certification  of the tutors to qualify them to teach the embedded Training Regulations (TR) in the curriculum,  as the case may be. TESDA shall also assist in the embedment  of the  competency-based   curriculum   in  the  Rural   Farm   Schools   and  in  the assessment of the students for National Certification (NC).

Section 19. Training of Tutors. The DepED will manage the development of the curriculum for the training of rural farm school teachers/ tutors. Training may be provided   by  the  DepED,   other   concerned   agencies   or  private   institutions accredited  by  the  DepED  and  other  appropriate  government  agencies.  The training programs shall be benchmarked with those countries that have already institutionalized the rural farm school system of education.

RULE VI. ACCREDITATION  OF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE RURAL FARM SCHOOLS

Section 20. Policies and Standards on Accreditation of Rural Farm Schools. The DepED, in consultation with the DAR, DA, TESDA, ATI, and the recognized national federation of family farm schools, shall prescribe policies and standards on  accreditation   of  rural   farm   schools   based   on  established   international principles  of  the  rural  farm  school  system.  The  DepED  shall  issue  a  policy articulating the requirements for accreditation of public and private rural farm schools.  Rural farm schools  shall not be allowed  to operate  unless  accredited and/or recognized by the DepED.

The DepED may withdraw  the accreditation  or suspend  the operation  of a rural farm school if it fails to maintain the standards set for its accreditation or recognition.

Section 21. Monitoring  and Evaluation  of Rural Farm Schools. The DepED shall conduct regular monitoring and evaluation of public and private rural farm schools to determine  continuing  compliance  with the accreditation  status of the rural  farm  schools  and  to  assess  the  adherence  of  the  said  schools  to  the standards of quality assurance prescribed by these Rules and Regulations. The monitoring  and  evaluation  shall  be  conducted  at  least  twice  annually.  The regional  offices  shall  submit  reports  to  the  Office  of  the  Undersecretary  for Programs  and  Projects  and  the  Office  of  the  Planning  Service  (OPS)  at  the DepED Central Office.

The DepED shall issue the corresponding guidelines on the monitoring and evaluation of public and private rural farm schools.

RULE VII. TAX EXEMPTION

Section  22.  General  Provision.  Any  donation,  contribution,  bequest  or grant which may be made to a rural farm school duly accredited under Section 12 of the Act shall be exempt from the donor’s tax and the same shall be considered as allowable deduction from the gross income in the computation of the income tax  of  the  donor  in  accordance  with  the  provisions  of  the  National  Internal Revenue  Code  (NIRC)  of  1997,  as  amended;  Provided,  That  the  rural  farm school   has   likewise   been   accredited   by   the   Philippine   Council   for   NGO Certification (PCNC).

RULE VIII. ROLES OF IMPLEMENTING AGENCIES

Section  23.  The  DepED,  through  the  appropriate  bureau  and  offices,  shall regulate the organization and operation of the rural farm schools and the implementation of its curriculum as prescribed herein. The DepED shall also designate   or  work  with  appropriate   agencies   to  oversee  and  regulate  the operations of the rural farm schools.

Section 24. The DA-ATI shall:

a)   Designate     national     and     regional     focal     persons     to     coordinate     the implementation of the rural farm schools program;

b)   Make available the use of ATI Regional Training Centers in the conduct of training activities based on existing policies and guidelines;

c)     Assist   in  curriculum   development   on  entrepreneurship   and  agriculture- related courses;

d)   Assist  in  organizing  the  students  to  qualify  them  for  the  extension  and training services provided by the ATI;

e)   Develop standards in the establishment of learning sites for practicum of the students; and

f)     Assist in the documentation of best practices/success stories.

Section 25. The DAR shall:

a)   Assign/designate DAR counterpart/representatives to relevant technical and steering committees to be created for the smooth operationalization of the program;

b)   Ensure   the  involvement   of  the  appropriate   personnel   of  DAR   in  the identification and selection of children of CARP beneficiaries for admission in the rural farm schools;

c)    Provide   technical   assistance/guidance   needed   by   the   program   in  the following  areas:  (i)  organization  and  strengthening  of  family  farm associations;  (ii)  linkaging  of  farm  products  with  markets  and  the  private sector; (iii) skills trainings on entrepreneurship and other business skills, product/project/business development, packaging, marketing, and resource mobilization activities;

d)   Assist DepED, DA, TESDA, and ATI in operating and mobilizing necessary support from the LGUs, NGOs, and other stakeholders.

Section 26. The TESDA shall:

a)   Provide technical assistance in the embedment of the appropriate TESDA Training Regulations in Agriculture and/or Fishery depending on the local community needs;

b)   Provide   technical   assistance   in   the   embedment   of  competency-based curriculum that will incorporate the TR in the rural farm school curriculum;

c)    Assist  in the training,  assessment,  and certification  of the tutors  to quality them to teach the embedded training regulations in the rural farm school program; and

d)   Extend assistance in the assessment of students for national certification.

RULE IX. TRANSITORY PROVISIONS

Section  27.  All  existing  family  farm  schools  may  apply  for  accreditation  at DepED within one (1) year from the effectivity of these Rules and Regulations.

Section   28.  Upon   approval   of  these   Rules   and  Regulations,   a  Program Management   Committee   shall   be   convened   to   formulate   the   Manual   of Operations  of Rural Farm Schools. It shall be composed  of officials of DepED, DA, DAR, TESDA, ATI and private rural farm school associations, or their representatives.

To  effectively  operationalize  the  rural  farm  school  program,  regional  and division program management committees shall also be created.

RULE X. FINAL PROVISIONS

Section  29.  Appropriations.   The  Secretary  of  Education  shall  immediately include  in the  Department’s  program  the  operationalization  of the  public  rural farm schools, the funding of which shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.

Section 30.  Separability Clause. If  any  provision  or  part  of  these  Rules  and Regulations is held invalid or unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall remain valid and subsisting.

Section  31.  Repealing  Clause.  All  other  laws,  decrees,  orders,  rules  and regulations inconsistent with the provisions of the Act and these Rules and Regulations are deemed repealed or modified accordingly.

Section 32. Effectivity Clause. These Rules and Regulations shall take effect fifteen (15) days after publication in the Official Gazette.

These  Rules  and  Regulations  shall  be  registered  with  the  Office  of  the National Administrative  Register at the University of the Philippines Law Center, UP Diliman, Quezon City.

Signed this day_____ of July 2015, Pasig City, Philippines.