Pampanga First District Representative Carmelo “Pogi” Lazatin, Jr. has filed House Bill No. 4356 seeking the establishment of a Philippine Online Library and the digitization of all prescribed references for public education.
The measure, to be known as the Philippine Online Library and Digitization of Public School References Act, mandates the Department of Education (DepEd), in coordination with the National Library of the Philippines (NLP), to create digitized versions of all prescribed textbooks and essential reference materials for elementary and secondary schools.
These digital resources will be made accessible through a national online library, which will be jointly managed by the NLP and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT). The platform will be free of charge and available to students and the public with internet access.
Lazatin emphasized the urgent need for the measure, citing DepEd data showing that 27.6 million students are expected to enroll in the 2025–2026 school year, while a Congressional Committee on Education report revealed that from 2012 to 2022, only Grades 5 and 6 had complete sets of textbooks.
“This data suggests that for the past decade, the Philippine education system has been struggling since our young learners in public schools have been sharing textbooks,” Lazatin said. “The digitization of textbooks and other essential references, and making it freely available online, will give more students access to the learning materials that they need. We shouldn’t gatekeep knowledge; it should be made available to anyone who wants to learn.”
The proposed online library is envisioned to bridge gaps in learning resources, allowing students to access a wide range of materials at home or in their own communities.
As Mayor of Angeles City, Lazatin spearheaded the renovation of the three-storey Angeles City Library and Information Center (ACLIC) into a modernized, state-of-the-art facility, inaugurated on March 19, 2024. The ACLIC now features a broader collection, spacious reading areas, and computer workstations.
In line with his education initiatives as District Representative, Lazatin also plans to request ₱200 million in 2026 to fund the construction of computer laboratories in 19 public high schools across the First District. The project covers six schools in Magalang, 12 in Mabalacat City, and Francisco G. Nepomuceno Memorial High School (FGNMHS) in Angeles City. Each lab will be equipped with 50 computers, printers, air-conditioning units, and a 55-inch smart TV.
(File photos show the Angeles City Library and Information Center, renovated during Lazatin’s time as City Mayor.)
