1.  In response to the reports and complaints that have reached this Office about the inharmonious relationship among PTA and PTCA members and officers and school personnel, principals and administrators revised guidelines on the following are hereby issued:

1. Scope of participation of PTA and PTCA in school management;
2. Membership;
3. Officers;
4. Tenure of office;
5. Collection of dues and contributions;
6. Financial accountability;
7. Relationship among school personnel, principals, administrators and parents;
8. Engagement in business transactions.

2.  The establishment of PTA and PTCA in all schools under the Department of Education, Culture and Sports is being encouraged because of their participative and cooperative support in the management of our schools for the best interest of the pupils and students. Behind such rationale, the following guidelines are hereby promulgated and any policy contained in DECS Orders, Memorandum or other issuances contrary hereto are deemed superseded, amended and repealed accordingly.

1. All PTA and PTCA should limit its participation in school programs and activities that shall redound to the best interest of the pupils and students. For this purpose, the school administrator or principal should take the lead in enlisting the support and cooperation of the PTA and PTCA, if it is imperatively necessary to address a need which cannot be sufficiently solved by the school or the government.

2. Organization of PTA and PTCA

a. Membership in PTA should be limited to parents and legal guardian of pupils and students enrolled in the school and teachers; while PTCA, being a larger organization is open to parents, legal guardian of pupils and students enrolled in the school, interested people in the community, and teachers.

b. Officers - The officers of the PTA and PTCA are the 15 Board of Directors, Chairman of the Board, President, Vice President, Treasurer, Auditor, Business Manager and Secretary. The officers shall all be elected from among the members of the Board. The 15 members of the Board shall be elected at large by the General Assembly.

c. Tenure of Office - The members of the Board and the officers shall serve a term of one (1) year and no PTA and PTCA officer thereof shall serve more than two terms.

d. Elections - The election of officers and members of the Board shall be held yearly any day on the fourth week after the opening of classes.

e. Membership and annual dues - The amount of membership and annual dues should be reduced to an affordable level and approved by the General membership assembly during its annual assembly. Membership dues shall be collected only once until the graduation of his/her child, while annual dues shall be collected yearly.

f. Voluntary contributions - All projects of the PTA and PTCA to be funded out of voluntary contributions from their members shall be upon the recommendation of the school administrator or principal of the need before approval of the Board.

g. Trust funds - All collection of dues and voluntary contributions shall be treated as trust fund and deposited in a reputable banking institution. The Association ™s treasurer or his/her authorized representative shall undertake the collections and issuance of its official receipt. All disbursements out of said collections shall be in accordance with government accounting and auditing rules and regulations and other applicable laws thereof.

h. Financial statement report - A yearly financial statement report shall be submitted by the Association through its President, Treasurer and Auditor who shall jointly sign the report copy furnished the school administrator. Without such financial statement report, the school administrator or principal shall not authorize the collection for the next school year.

3. Prohibited activities - PTA and PTCA are prohibited:

a. To sell insurances to pupils and students;

b. To operate a canteen or be concessionaires thereof; and

c. To engage in similar business in the school.

4. Public school teachers and officials who are members of the PTA and PTCA are prohibited from holding key positions in said association except as a member of the board or secretary thereof.

5. All PTA and PTCA should refrain from being parties or supportive of any complaint for or against school personnel or officials. Individually, however, members can initiate or file complaints against school personnel or officials if they are adversely affected by the misbehavior of said school personnel or official.

The immediate dissemination of this Order is hereby enjoined.

Adopted: 21 July 1998

(SGD.) ANDREW GONZALEZ, FSC
Secretary