TO:	The Minister of Education, Culture and Sports The Minister of Local Government The Minister of Finance The Minister of the Budget Provincial Governors and City and Municipal Mayors The Chairmen and Members of Local School Boards

WHEREAS, the quality of educational outcomes is affected by the availability and quality of textbooks and teaching aids;

WHEREAS, the present low textbook-pupil ratio in the public schools prevents the maximum increase of the quality of Philippine education;

WHEREAS, the limited funds appropriated by government for the procurement of books and teaching aids need to be used in the most effective manner;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law, do hereby Order and Instruct:

1. Priority in the use of national, local and special education fund resources (including those authorized for the purchase of books and teaching aids) shall be given to the procurement of the most current textbooks approved by the Ministry under the Textbook Production Project, in order to augment those provided through the Project, with the aim of reaching a textbook-pupil ratio of 1:1;
   
   
2. Textbooks for elementary grades and high schools may be purchased by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports, by local government units, or by local school boards without need for further special approvals beyond normal budgetary authorizations:  Provided, That  this authorization  shall apply only to the most current textbooks authorized under the Textbook Production Project as circularized by the Minister of Education, Culture and Sports and at the maximum prices indicated therein; and Provided, Further, That the textbook-pupil ratio of 1:1 is not exceeded as a consequence of any such purchase;
   
   
3. The purchase of reference works shall be limited to the minimum library needs of a school.  The standard contents of a school library shall be established by the Minister on recommendation of the Director of the National Library and the Director of the Bureau of Elementary Education or the Bureau of Secondary Education, as the case may be;
   
   
4. The purchase of supplementary readers, reference works not included in the list prepared under no. 3 above, commercially produced posters, flip charts, flashcards, workbooks and other teaching aids shall be suspended until further notice;
   
   
5. A special program for the development of low cost and indigenous teaching aids shall be launched in accordance with the following guidelines:
   
   
   1. Teachers shall be trained to produce teaching aids and shall be provided tools and materials for the purpose, utilizing part of the maintenance and operating or regular equipment funds of the Ministry;
      
      
   2. The Ministry shall conduct an annual contest for the best teaching aids produced by teachers and the schools equipped with the most effective teacher-produced teaching aids.  Cash prizes shall be awarded the winners as may be approved by the Minister; and
      
      
   3. The winning teaching aids may be produced in mass for distribution to teachers as part of the Textbook Project;
      

7. Savings in the budget of the Ministry of Education Culture and Sports may be utilized to cover the prizes and other expenses incurred as a consequence of this Letter.

Done, in the City of Manila, this 20th day of February nineteen hundred and eighty-four.