To: Undersecretaries
Assistant Secretaries
Bureau Directors
Directors of Services, Centers and Heads of Units
Regional Directors
Schools Division/City Superintendents
Heads of Public Elementary and Secondary Schools

1. Pursuant to the Constitutional mandate for free public basic education as well as existing laws, students in public elementary and secondary schools have the right to enroll without being compelled to pay any amount as a requirement for enrolment.
2. Contributions for the following organizations and fund raising activities may be collected at any time during the year including the enrolment period provided that a (1) student has already enrolled and (2) these contributions are voluntary.
   1. Boy Scouts of the Philippines
   2. Girl Scouts of the Philippines
   3. Philippine National Red Cross
   4. Anti-TB Education and Fund Drive

   THE PAYMENT OF SUCH CONTRIBUTIONS SHALL NOT BE MADE A REQUIREMENT FOR ADMISSION OR FOR THE RELEASE OF REPORT CARDS, AND TEST RESULTS, OR FOR CLEARANCE PURPOSES IN CASE OF TRANSFER OF STUDENTS TO OTHER SCHOOLS.

3. In order to assure that contributions are made solely on a voluntary basis, the following practices are prohibited in schools:
   > Requiring payment of contributions before admission, release of report cards or test results, or for clearance for transfer of students
   > Requiring parents to sign promissory notes for contributions they are unable to pay
   > Setting up variations in enrollment procedures that discriminate between those who contribute and those who do not
   > Using the moral suasion and authority of the school head/teacher to shame or criticize those who do not contribute.
4. Teachers and other school personnel are hereby prohibited from collecting said contributions for these organizations. These organizations shall assign their own personnel to collect contributions/membership fees at the school level. In cases where they do not have such personnel, it is suggested that these organizations initiate arrangements with the school’s PTA/PTCA to authorize the PTA/PTCA Treasurer to collect contributions in their behalf.
5. During the enrolment period, the following shall be undertaken:
   1. The School Head shall post an announcement at the entrance of the school which states that:
      > Enrolment does not require the payment of any contribution/fee;
      > All contributions/fees being collected are not prerequisite for enrolment and are voluntary in nature.
      This announcement shall be written English and/or Filipino in “cartolina” or in manila paper, with a minimum size of 23 in. x 28 in. Please see attached sample (Annex A) which can be translated into the local dialect.
   2. The School Head shall see to it that there are separate tables put up and manned by PTA/PTCA personnel, Girl Scouts, or Boy Scouts volunteers for the receipt of voluntary contributions. These should be located away from the area where enrolment of student is being conducted. A sign, “VOLUNTARY CONTRIBUTIONS” shall be placed in front of the tables,
6. For schools that publish school papers, the collection of school publication fee, which shall be voluntary and set by the individual elementary and secondary school, but which shall not exceed P55.00 per elementary school pupil and P80.00 per secondary school student shall also be undertaken by the PTCA.
7. Likewise, for schools with active student organizations recognized by the DepEd, the PTCA may undertake the collection of a student organization fee which shall be voluntary and shall not exceed P55.00 per student. Fifty percent of the proceeds of the collection will go to the student government, while the remaining fifty percent will be shared with other co-curricular clubs and organizations in the school.
8. The PTA/PTCA may be authorized to collect financial contributions from its members to enable it to implement programs and projects for the benefit of the school in which it operates. However, the fees should be voluntary and agreed upon by the members in a general assembly.
9. The PTA/PTCA of each school shall submit a financial report on how the past school year’s collections were utilized. This report shall be submitted to the principal and, in cases where applicable, to the School Governing Council and the Schools Division Superintendent before the end of July 2006. Similarly, the organizations responsible for Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Anti-TB and Red Cross contributions/fees should submit their financial reports. Failure to submit financial reports shall be cause for prohibiting the concerned organization from collecting its fees or contributions in the subsequent schoolyear.
10. Schools Division Superintendents, School Principals, School Heads and Teachers are directed to strictly implement this Order. Monitoring by the Regional Director and Schools Division Superintendent of all schools in their respective areas is required to check on the implementation of this Order.
11. Every school head must send to the Division Office a letter of compliance of this Order. In turn, the Division Officers are required to submit to the Office of the Undersecretary for Regional Operations a consolidated report of said compliance. Any violation of this Order by any school official will be dealt with administratively.
12. All previous issuances, which are inconsistent with the provisions of this Order, are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.
13. These guidelines shall remain in force in succeeding schoolyears until revised or repealed.
14. For immediate dissemination and compliance.

Encl.:
As stated
Reference:
DepED Memorandum: No. 22, s. 2005
Allotment: 1- -(D.O. 50-97)

To be indicated in the Perpetual Index
under the following subjects:
FEES
POLICY
PROJECT
STUDENTS

DO_s2006_20