TO ENSURE that homeless children will have access to education, Parañaque City 2nd District Rep. Joy Myra Tambunting filed a bill that seeks to formulate and implement a comprehensive learning plan for poor children and youth.

House Bill 9290 or the proposed Educational Success for Homeless Children and Youth law will empower the Secretary of Education to make grants to local government units to enable them to carry out activities for homeless children.

Tambunting stressed that education is a fundamental human right of every child and plays an important role in the success of Filipinos.

“Therefore, it is imperative that the government improve the accessibility of preschool, primary and secondary education for homeless children and youth,” she said in her explanatory note.

The proposed law mandates LGUs to improve the identification of homeless children and youth and help them enroll, attend and succeed in school.

The LGU will also have to establish or designate an Office of the Coordinator for Education of Homeless Children and Youth.

The budget for the implementation of the program will be included in the annual appropriation of the DepEd.