To: Undersecretaries, Assistant Secretaries
Bureau Directors, Regional Directors, Schools Superintendents

1. In pursuance of the major thrust to improve basic education in the public schools by providing them with greater access to supplementary reading materials, the suspension on the procurement of reference and supplementary instructional materials contained in DECS Order No. 100, s. 1990 is hereby lifted effective with the school year 1994-1995.
2. For this purpose, principals or teachers-in-charge of all public elementary and high schools are authorized to use their allotments for maintenance and other operating expenses as provided for under DECS Order No. 39, s. 1993 to procure such reference and supplementary instructional materi¬als, including subscriptions, as are deemed appropriate towards augmenting library collections, im¬proving the quality of teaching and attaining better learning results. For the time being, the number of copies or subscriptions that may be acquired by any single school shall be limited to one copy of a particular book or one subscription to a particular magazine, and which is primarily aimed at augment¬ing and upgrading library collections.
3. This Office shall issue at the beginning of every school year a list of reference and supple¬mentary instructional materials, including periodicals, approved for purchase. The list shall be pre¬pared by the Instructional Materials Council to include only those which are no more than five (5) years old, stating therein the corresponding prices. An updating of the list shall be made at least once a year. The approved list for the school year 1994-1995 shall be issued by this Office before September 1994.
4. For your information and guidance.

References: DECS Orders: (Nos. 39, s. 1993 and 100, s. 1990)
Allotment: 1-2—(M.O. 1-87)

To be indicated in the Perpetual Index Under the following subjects:
EQUIPMENT
EXPENSES
LISTS
OFFICIALS
PURCHASES
RULES & REGULATIONS
TEACHING AIDS