DepEd Order No. 19, s. 2017: Senior High School Voucher Program Guidelines

DepEd Order No. 19, s. 2017, dated April 20, 2017, sets the Guidelines on the Implementation of the Senior High School Voucher Program (SHS VP) effective School Year 2017-2018. The voucher is a government subsidy that helps qualified Grade 10 completers enroll in a private school or other non-DepEd senior high school (SHS) of their choice. The order was signed by Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones and applies nationwide.

This page gives a plain-English summary first, followed by the full text of the order and its enclosure.

On this page 5 sections

Key points

• What the voucher is. It is a subsidy for tuition and other published fees at a non-DepEd SHS. Learners do not receive cash. DepEd pays the school directly.
• Who qualifies. Only Grade 10 students of SY 2016-2017 (Grade 10 completers) are eligible. Completers from public junior high schools, SUCs and LUCs, and ESC grantee private schools qualify automatically. Completers from non-ESC private schools must apply.
• How much it is worth. The voucher pays the lower of the school’s declared fees or the voucher amount. The voucher amount depends on where the school is, what type of school it is, and the learner’s category. It ranges from PHP 8,750 to PHP 22,500 per student per school year.
• How it is used. A learner uses (redeems) the voucher simply by enrolling in a participating SHS. The voucher must be redeemed in the first semester of SY 2017-2018. It covers only two years, Grades 11 and 12.
• When the subsidy is lost. A learner loses it by dropping out mid-year, not re-enrolling, not being promoted, transferring within the school year, or transferring to a DepEd SHS. Learners who drop out because of prolonged illness, accident, force majeure, or the death of a parent or guardian may be reinstated if they submit supporting documents to PEAC.
• Transfers and shifts. Learners keep the voucher if they transfer to another non-DepEd SHS only after completing Grade 11. They may shift track or strand after the first semester of Grade 11 in the same school, or after completing Grade 11.
• School duties. Participating schools must attend the annual PEAC orientation and orient new beneficiaries and their parents. They must open a Land Bank account for the program and encode data in the EBEIS, LIS, and VMS. They submit billing statements every semester.
• Monitoring and penalties. PEAC makes unannounced monitoring visits. Falsified data, “ghost students,” overcharging, and late reimbursement of fees are penalized. Penalties include suspension from the program and termination from it.

Quick guide for learners and parents

Your Grade 10 school (SY 2016-2017)	Category	Do you need to apply?	Proof to show your SHS, if asked
Public junior high school	A	No	Report card with Learner Reference Number
SUC or LUC	B	No	Report card with Learner Reference Number
Private school that is an ESC grantee	C	No	ESC Certificate
Private school that is not an ESC grantee	D	Yes	QVR Certificate from PEAC NS

Learners are responsible for choosing their school. They must also meet that school’s admission requirements.

Full text of DepEd Order No. 19, s. 2017

April 20, 2017

Guidelines on the Implementation of the Senior High School Voucher Program Effective School Year 2017-2018

To: Undersecretaries; Assistant Secretaries; Bureau and Service Directors; Regional Directors; Schools Division Superintendents; Public and Private Elementary and Secondary Schools Heads; All Others Concerned

1. The Expanded Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education Act as expanded in the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013, provides for the Senior High School Voucher Program (SHS VP). Grounded on the principles of public-private partnership, the SHS VP, which is a mechanism to provide financial support to qualified students, is a demonstration of the Government’s commitment to maintaining the viability of private education, in recognition of the private education sector as a key partner in the delivery of quality basic education.
2. In support of this commitment, the Department of Education (DepEd) has issued the enclosed Guidelines on the Implementation of the Senior High School Voucher Program Effective School Year 2017-2018 to ensure effective and efficient program implementation.
3. These policies and guidelines shall remain in effect unless otherwise amended or repealed.
4. Immediate dissemination of and strict compliance with this Order is desired.

Leonor Magtolis Briones, Secretary

I. Rationale

Republic Act No. 10533 (RA 10533), otherwise known as the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013, lengthens Philippine basic education from 10 years to 13 years with the addition of Kindergarten and Grades 11 and 12 in Senior High School (SHS). Grade 11 was introduced in School Year (SY) 2016-17 and Grade 12 will be introduced in SY 2017-2018.

RA 10533 explicitly expands Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education (E-GASTPE or RA 8545) to include Grades 11 and 12. RA 10533 further mandates DepEd to formulate programs to enact this provision based on the principles of public-private partnership. In this regard, DepEd Order No. 11, series of 2015 (DO 11, s. 2015) introduced the SHS VP as a mechanism to provide financial support to qualified students in SHS.

RA 10533 supports Article XIV Section 2.3 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution, which mandates the State to establish a system of, among others, subsidies and incentives to deserving individuals in both public and private schools.

The intent of this DepEd Order is to provide clear and detailed guidelines to schools in processing vouchers.

II. Scope

These implementing guidelines shall have national applicability. They detail the processes and flow of activities that relate to VP-participating SHSs in SY 2017-2018. These include accepting QVRs, creating billing statements, dealing with transferees, and other SHS VP-related events that may happen in a school year.

III. Definition of terms

• Non-DepEd Senior High School (Non-DepEd SHS): An educational provider not directly operated by DepEd, but granted a permit by DepEd to operate SHS. This includes private high schools, private colleges and universities, local universities and colleges (LUCs), state universities and colleges (SUCs), and technical and vocational institutions.
• Voucher: A subsidy given by the State to qualified Grade 10 completers to enable them to enroll in a non-DepEd SHS of their choice. It helps defray the cost of tuition and all other published fees charged by a non-DepEd SHS. The subsidy is not given to the student as cash; DepEd pays directly to the non-DepEd SHS where the student enrolls.
• Qualified Voucher Recipients (QVRs): Grade 10 completers that qualify for the voucher subsidy.
• Voucher Program Beneficiaries (VPBs): QVRs that successfully enroll in a non-DepEd SHS and thus benefit from the subsidy provided by the vouchers.
• VP-participating Senior High School (VP-participating SHS): Non-DepEd SHSs that accept QVRs in the SHS VP and are thus subject to these guidelines. If a non-DepEd SHS accepts QVRs in multiple campuses or in different delivery modes, each campus and delivery mode combination is considered a separate VP-participating SHS.
• Enhanced Basic Education Information System (EBEIS): An information management system and database maintained by DepEd on basic education schools in the country.
• Learner Information System (LIS): An information management system and database maintained by DepEd to track and monitor students in basic education.
• Voucher Management System (VMS): An information management system maintained by PEAC for VP-participating SHSs to create and track billing statements and payments.

IV. Policy statement

The SHS Voucher Program intends to:

1. Uphold the right to quality basic education by increasing access to SHS;
2. Increase the diversity of SHS providers beyond the current configuration, which in turn will create a more dynamic system with schools deciding and innovating on their own;
3. Provide greater choice to students and their families in deciding the SHS program that caters to their needs and career goals.

These objectives ultimately lead to the very purpose of the K to 12 reform: relevant and high-quality education. As such, the SHS VP is meant to be a long-term program of DepEd.

V. Implementation roles and responsibilities

DepEd is the institutional owner and regulator of the SHS VP. It implements the SHS VP to fulfill RA 10533, the K to 12 reform agenda of the government. It shall formulate program policies and guidelines; ensure its databases are accurate and consistent; provide the needed resources for financial assistance, teacher training, and research; and oversee and evaluate implementation of the programs. It shall organize the Regional Program Committees (RPComs), coordinate with PEAC, and provide PEAC with data pertinent to the SHS VP.

DepEd Central Office (CO). The CO houses the Interim Project Management Office (PMO) for GASTPE, created by DO 16, s. 2016. Through the interim GASTPE PMO, the CO shall:

• Coordinate with and perform monitoring and oversight functions on PEAC
• Set the necessary policies and directives for the SHS VP, and issue and disseminate the necessary Orders and Memoranda on their implementing guidelines to its field offices and other parties concerned
• Ensure that the annual and long-term funding requirements of the SHS VP are included in DepEd’s annual budget
• Process and ensure the prompt release of the entitlements of participating schools with complete billing documents
• Set the agenda and policy directions for research and evaluation studies on the SHS VP
• Conduct monitoring and evaluation activities and report to appropriate authorities on the performance of the SHS VP and its stakeholders, including PEAC, the participating private schools, and DepEd field units, as well as other concerns relating to the SHS VP
• Work with PEAC on updating and managing the SHS VP information systems, including providing access to pertinent data, documents, and information, such as status reports on payments to participating schools, and the LIS
• Give final approval and sign off on payrolls and requests for payment, and the corresponding disbursements

DepEd Regional Office (RO). The RO shall:

• Coordinate with PEAC on regional orientations on the implementation of the SHS VP
• Represent the Department in the Regional Program Committee and help carry out its duties
• Check, approve, and sign off on billing statements

Schools Division Office (SDO). The SDO shall:

• Provide VP-participating SHSs with the information they need to encode and update data in the EBEIS and LIS
• Ensure that schools comply with the SHS VP guidelines, particularly in encoding accurate school and learner data

Private Education Assistance Committee (PEAC). PEAC has been contracted by DepEd to administer the SHS VP. PEAC is the trustee of the Fund for Assistance to Private Education (FAPE), a perpetual trust fund created to assist private education in the country. PEAC is represented nationally by its National Secretariat (PEAC NS) and in each region by its Regional Secretariats (PEAC RS).

The PEAC NS shall:

• Provide the infrastructure, systems, coordination, and controls required for the smooth implementation of the SHS VP
• Provide in-service training of teachers in VP-participating SHSs and conduct pertinent research (details on these programs are on the FAPE website, fape.org.ph)

The PEAC RSs are the first line of program support to VP-participating SHSs in the regions. The PEAC RS shall:

• Manage day-to-day implementation and coordinate with its RPCom and the PEAC NS
• Advise, guide, and assist schools in complying with the guidelines
• Conduct field audits and training and mentoring sessions as needed in their regions

Regional Program Committees (RPComs). The RPComs oversee the compliance of participating public and private schools in their regions with the policies and guidelines of the GASTPE programs. They resolve problems and recommend measures to improve implementation. Each RPCom is composed of representatives from DepEd and the PEAC RS. The DepEd Regional Director is Chair and the PEAC Regional Program Director is Co-Chair.

Schools. Schools shall provide assistance and guidance to uphold student choice in the SHS VP. Junior and senior high schools, both public and private, must provide career guidance programs, prepare documents requested by students, and promptly encode complete and accurate information in the LIS and EBEIS. In addition, VP-participating SHSs shall communicate the tracks and strands they offer, encode the information required in the VMS, prepare billing statement packages, orient VPBs and their parents on the SHS VP, and comply with these guidelines.

VI. Qualified Voucher Recipients (QVRs)

Consistent with DO 66, s. 2016, all and only Grade 10 students of the previous school year, SY 2016-2017, are eligible for the SHS VP. For brevity, these students are called Grade 10 completers. QVRs are grouped as follows.

1. Automatically qualified students. These students do not need to apply and are automatically considered QVRs:

• Category A: All Grade 10 completers in public JHSs
• Category B: All Grade 10 completers in SUCs and LUCs
• Category C: All Grade 10 completers in private schools that are Educational Service Contracting (ESC) grantees

2. Successful Voucher Applicants (VAs).

• Category D: Grade 10 completers in non-ESC private schools need to apply for vouchers. Those who apply successfully are considered QVRs.

If required by the VP-participating SHS where the QVR wishes to enroll, the QVR may submit the following as evidence of QVR status.

Table 1. Documentary evidence of QVRs

QVR category	Document	Where to obtain document
Categories A and B	Report card bearing a Learner Reference Number	Junior high school
Category C	ESC Certificate	Junior high school or PEAC NS
Category D	QVR Certificate	PEAC NS

QVRs are responsible for their choice of school in Senior High, and for meeting the admission requirements set by their chosen school.

VII. Applicable voucher values

The value of the voucher subsidy is the lower of (a) the total school fees declared in the VMS by the VP-participating SHS or (b) the applicable voucher amount. The applicable voucher amount depends on the location and type of the non-DepEd SHS and the category of the QVR.

Table 2. Applicable voucher amounts for SY 2017-2018 (in PHP per student per school year)

Location of non-DepEd SHS	Category of QVR	Voucher amount	Voucher amount if the SHS is a SUC or LUC
National Capital Region (NCR)	Categories A and B	22,500	11,250
National Capital Region (NCR)	Categories C and D	18,000	—
Highly urbanized cities (HUCs) outside NCR	Categories A and B	20,000	10,000
Highly urbanized cities (HUCs) outside NCR	Categories C and D	16,000	—
All other locations	Categories A and B	17,500	8,750
All other locations	Categories C and D	14,000	—

VIII. Voucher redemption and validity

A QVR redeems the voucher by the very act of enrolling in a VP-participating SHS. Upon enrollment, the QVR informs the school of his or her status and presents the documentary evidence in Table 1. Like any student, QVRs must satisfy the school’s admission requirements. A QVR who successfully enrolls in a VP-participating SHS becomes a voucher program beneficiary (VPB).

Vouchers shall be redeemed in the first semester of SY 2017-2018 and are no longer valid if not redeemed in that period. The voucher covers the two years of SHS, Grades 11 and 12. If the VPB takes longer than two years, the voucher still covers only the first two years.

IX. Conditions for voucher program beneficiaries (VPBs)

After enrollment, VPBs may continue in the SHS VP, transfer schools, shift tracks or strands, or leave formal schooling. This section explains how each case is treated.

A. Continuing participants

VPBs are continuing participants and keep their subsidy if they are promoted to Grade 12 and continue to study in a non-DepEd SHS. No maintaining grades are required within a school year.

VPBs lose their subsidy if they:

• Drop out in the middle of the school year;
• Do not re-enroll in the following school year;
• Fail to be promoted to the next grade level or are retained in the same grade level;
• Transfer to another SHS within the school year;
• Transfer to a DepEd SHS.

VPBs who drop out due to prolonged illness, accident, force majeure, or death of a parent or guardian may be reinstated, provided they submit documents supporting their claim to PEAC, for example a medical certificate issued by a licensed medical doctor for illness.

B. Transferees

VPBs who transfer to a different SHS are transferees. Transfers are allowed, but VPBs lose their subsidy for the transfers listed above. VPBs who wish to keep their voucher may transfer to another non-DepEd SHS only after completing Grade 11, and must meet the admission requirements of the accepting school.

Transfers between schools with different applicable voucher values are allowed. The accepting school is paid the lower of the two values.

Involuntary transfers, such as when a school closes or is terminated from the SHS VP, are allowed and treated as special cases, dealt with individually. VP-participating SHSs that close shall promptly inform PEAC so that their VPBs are not disenfranchised.

C. Shifters

VPBs who shift to a different track or strand are shifters. VPBs who wish to keep their voucher may shift:

• After the first semester of Grade 11 in the same school; or
• After completing Grade 11 in the same school or in another VP-participating SHS.

VP-participating SHSs shall ensure that shifters meet the required competencies of their new track or strand.

Transferees and shifters are treated separately. A VPB who transfers to a different SHS and shifts to a different track or strand is tagged as both.

X. VP-participating SHS eligibility and requirements

Any non-DepEd SHS with an SHS permit may participate. It becomes a VP-participating SHS by accepting QVRs as students. Each VP-participating SHS must:

• Attend the annual orientation on the SHS VP Guidelines and the VMS. The PEAC NS informs schools of the schedule by the first week of March and holds the orientations in every region in April or May. Schools that fail to attend are denied access to the VMS.
• Conduct an orientation on the SHS VP for new VPBs and their parents at the start of each school year, and keep a copy of the program and attendance sheet as evidence.
• Open and maintain a Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) account specifically for the SHS VP. The account name is the school’s name as shown in its SHS permit, followed by “SHS VP”. Schools coordinate directly with any LBP branch on the bank’s requirements.

XI. Principal processes for VP-participating schools

VP-participating SHSs work with three systems: DepEd’s EBEIS, DepEd’s LIS, and PEAC’s VMS. All three are linked through a single sign-on (SSO) service on the DepEd LIS login page. Usernames and passwords are obtained from the school’s DepEd Division Office through the Schools Governance and Operations Division-Planning Service Unit or the Division IT Officer.

A. Encode or update the school profile. Schools log on to EBEIS to encode or update the school data DepEd requires.

B. Encode, update, and download SHS student information. At the start of each semester, schools encode or update the required data on all their SHS students in the LIS (see DepEd Order No. 34, s. 2016 for details on encoding learner profiles; the order also points to instructional videos on the LIS support site). Schools must make sure the tagged QVRs are actually enrolled for the semester. Erroneous or multiple entries are subject to validation, which delays processing and payment. After encoding, download the list of SHS students into a file.

C. Create billing statements. Schools create billing statements in the VMS to obtain the subsidy for their VPBs:

1. Verify the information in the “School Profile” tab under “View School Profile.” The VMS uses only EBEIS data for this tab, so errors must be corrected in the EBEIS.
2. Under the other tabs of “View School Profile,” encode or update: start and end dates of each semester or term; annual school fees (tuition, other, and miscellaneous fees) per track and strand; LBP account details; the authorized signatory for the billing statement; and the contact person for SHS VP concerns.
3. Under “Billing Statement,” select “Create Billing Statement” and the semester to be billed. Tick the QVRs to include, or use “Check All” and untick those to exclude. Click the “Create Billing Statement” icon at the bottom of the list.

Each billing statement shows a unique billing statement number used to process and track payment, the total number of VPBs billed, and the total amount due for the semester. Schools may view, print, or delete billing statements in the “View/Print/Delete Billing Statement” section. “View” allows a final check of the VPBs included; “Print” gives a hard copy.

Vouchers are paid in two tranches per school year. Schools submit billing statements every semester, each for half of the total applicable voucher value of the VPBs enrolled that semester. The VMS allows billing statements one month after the semester starts, but schools must create the first-semester billing statement from July 1 to October 31, 2017 and the second-semester billing statement from December 1, 2017 to March 31, 2018.

D. Process billing statements. Print five copies of each billing statement, each signed by the authorized signatory named in the VMS. Attach:

• The SHS VP Certification of School Fees (available in “Downloads” under “Tools” in the VMS);
• An STI1 (savings account) or IMI1 (current account) printout from LBP dated within 30 days from the start of the school’s academic year;
• The school’s official receipt for the latest SHS VP payment received (if applicable).

These are compiled in five folders, called the billing statement package.

Table 3. Compilation of the billing statement package

Folder	Folder title	Contents	Copies
0	Billing Statement	SHS VP billing statement	5
1	PEAC NS	STI1 or IMI1	1
1	PEAC NS	SHS VP Certification of School Fees	1
2	DepEd Central	STI1 or IMI1	1
2	DepEd Central	Official receipt for the latest payment received	1
3	PEAC RS	STI1 or IMI1	1
3	PEAC RS	SHS VP Certification of School Fees	1
4	School Copy	STI1 or IMI1	1
4	School Copy	SHS VP Certification of School Fees	1

The school sets an appointment with its PEAC RS through “Set a Document Submission Appointment Schedule” under “Tools” in the VMS, then submits the package at the scheduled time.

The PEAC RS processes packages in the order received and checks that they are complete and that the billing statements exist in the VMS. The PEAC Regional Program Director signs the billing statements and forwards them to the DepEd Regional Director for signature; both may authorize alternate signatories. The PEAC RS then forwards the signed statements to the PEAC NS.

The PEAC NS verifies the packages, batches them, and submits them with a List of Schools for Payment to the DepEd Central Office Accounting Division (DepEd AD). DepEd AD checks the documents and prepares the Payroll and Obligation Request Status (ORS). Once endorsed and approved, DepEd pays the schools through their LBP accounts.

E. Monitor billing statements. Schools can track the status of their billing statements in the “View/Print/Delete Billing Statement” section. The PEAC RS, PEAC NS, and DepEd AD update the status as they process the package.

Table 4. Billing statement statuses in the VMS

Status	Handling unit	Approximate processing time
On Process (School)	VP-participating SHS	2-3 weeks
On Process (Region)	PEAC RS	2-3 weeks
On Hold (Region)	PEAC RS	2-3 weeks
Submitted to DepEd RO for Signature	DepEd RO	2-3 weeks
Submitted to PEAC National Secretariat	PEAC RS	2-3 weeks
Received by PEAC National Secretariat	PEAC NS	2-3 weeks
On Hold (PEAC National Secretariat)	PEAC NS	2-3 weeks
Submitted to DepEd	DepEd AD	4-6 weeks
Payment Released	DepEd AD	4-6 weeks

An “On Hold” status means there is an issue with the package; schools should follow up with the unit concerned. The order provides a timeline of activities in Annex 1 and contact details of the DepEd and PEAC units in Annex 2.

F. Refund excess payments. A refund is due to DepEd when it has paid a school more than what is due because of inadvertent errors:

1. The school sends PEAC NS a bank check payable to the Department of Education OSEC with a letter explaining the reason for the refund.
2. The PEAC NS reviews the documents and endorses them to DepEd AD.
3. DepEd issues official receipts for cleared checks, which are delivered to PEAC NS for delivery to the schools.

XII. Program monitoring and compliance

A. Monitoring

The PEAC NS monitors VP-participating SHSs and reports its findings to DepEd. It verifies the VPBs listed in billing statements and the schools’ compliance with other requirements.

Monitoring is done through unannounced visits. Schools cannot turn away monitoring teams. When visited, a school must gather all its VPBs for a roll call and present:

• The enrollment list (DepEd School Form 1)
• The class record or class register
• The VPB and parent orientation attendance sheet

The team may ask for other documents to verify VPBs. The PEAC NS reports the results at the quarterly PEAC-DepEd meetings, including schools that violated or did not comply with the guidelines.

B. Program violations and penalties

Table 5. Program violations and corresponding penalties

Program violation	Penalty
Falsification of data or information in any program form, database field, or submitted document	Suspension from recruiting Grade 11 QVRs for at least one school year
Padding or inclusion of “ghost students” in the list of VPBs discovered during monitoring visits	Return of payments for the ghost students, duly acknowledged by DepEd, and termination from further participation in the SHS VP
Charging VPBs in excess of the total school fees declared in the VMS	Return of excess payments, duly acknowledged by the VPBs, and suspension from recruiting Grade 11 QVRs for at least one school year
Non-reimbursement or undue delay in reimbursing school fees advanced by VPBs after the school has been paid by DepEd (schools must reimburse within 30 days of receiving DepEd’s payment)	Reimbursement of the fees advanced, duly acknowledged by the VPBs, and suspension from recruiting Grade 11 QVRs for at least one school year

“Ghost students” refers to:

1. A significant number of absent VPBs during a monitoring visit whose absence school officials cannot satisfactorily explain;
2. VPBs billed under one campus, unit, or delivery mode but attending classes in another;
3. VPBs listed as enrolled who have not attended classes since the start of the semester;
4. VPBs listed multiple times in the same school or in different VP-participating SHSs.

Similar violations may also be penalized. PEAC reserves the right to decide on violations and penalties. Violations may also bar the school from other DepEd GASTPE programs, without prejudice to administrative and criminal charges against the school or its responsible officers under existing laws.

C. Processing adverse findings

Adverse findings are based on reports of the monitoring teams to the PEAC NS. The procedure is:

1. The PEAC Executive Director writes the school a letter, sent by courier or registered mail, stating the monitoring team’s findings, the violations committed, the sanctions based on those violations, evidence and supporting documents if applicable, and the period within which the school can respond.
2. If the school responds within that period, the PEAC NS reviews its documents, focusing on their authenticity and on unaccounted VPBs with and without supporting documents.
3. The PEAC NS reports schools with adverse findings and recommends sanctions to PEAC at its regular meetings. Sanctions follow the GASTPE guidelines of the school year of the monitoring visit.
4. PEAC decides on the sanctions.
5. PEAC informs the school of its decision within two weeks by courier or registered mail. If the school does not respond within two weeks of receiving the letter, the decision is final and executory.
6. PEAC submits to DepEd the final List of Schools with Sanctions with copies of the monitoring reports.
7. VPBs disenfranchised by the sanctions are allowed to transfer to another VP-participating SHS.

Monitoring and evaluation

DepEd and PEAC shall continuously gather feedback on the SHS Voucher Program from all concerned internal and external stakeholders. These guidelines shall be reviewed periodically to improve their provisions and ensure the program’s effectiveness.

Related resources

• DepEd Guidelines on Educational Service Contracting and Teachers’ Salary Subsidy Program in Junior High School
• Senior High School Enrolment of Learners in Private Schools in the Learner Information System (LIS)
• DepEd Research Management Guidelines
• DepEd Policy Development Process

Frequently asked questions