Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
TWENTIETH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ____ 
Introduced by HON. BRIAN RAYMUND S. YAMSUAN 
AN ACT 
GRANTING FREE TUITION FOR GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES ENROLLED IN 
GRADUATE EDUCATION MASTER'S PROGRAM AT STATE 
UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
As the Philippines continues to strive for transformation and progress, the 
importance of providing quality public service and administration cannot be 
emphasized enough. Serving as the backbone of this endeavor are our dedicated 
government employees, who generously contribute their knowledge, expertise, and 
commitment to provide essential government services to Filipinos.  
In line with the constitutional principle to give priority to education1 and the State 
policy of promoting the right of all citizens to quality education at all levels and to take 
appropriate steps to make such education accessible and relevant to all, this bill seeks 
to provide all government employees free access to graduate education in State 
Universities and Colleges (SUCs) in the country. 
While Article XIV, Section 2 of the 1987 Constitution requires the establishment 
of a system of free basic public education for elementary and high school levels, the 
recent enactment of Republic Act 10931 or the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary 
Education Act of 2017 providing for free tertiary education to bona fide students of 
SUCs stands as a testament towards the thrust of the State to provide access to quality 
education in all levels. We can build on this momentum by extending this right to public 
servants who aspire to grow and serve more effectively through higher education. 
This proposed Free Master’s Degree Tuition for Government Employees Act 
1 1987 Constitution, Article II, Section 17. 
6:04 pm
July 23, 2025
2242


aims to enhance the skills of our government employees and foster professional growth 
by providing them access to higher degrees of learning. By promoting career 
advancement and fostering a culture of lifelong learning, this measure strengthens civil 
service standards and equips personnel to address the dynamic and ever evolving 
challenges of governance. 
Beyond improving public service, we owe it to government employees to ensure 
that while they tirelessly serve, the government supports their goals for career growth 
and professional development. In addition to experience, training, civil service 
eligibility, and performance rating, educational attainment plays a vital role in the merit-
based selection and promotion of civil service employees. Thus, this measure will not 
only boost our civil servants’ morale and job satisfaction, it will also ensure employee 
retention, resulting in a more stable civil service. 
In view of the foregoing, the approval of this measure is earnestly sought. 
BRIAN RAYMUND S. YAMSUAN 
  Representative 
2nd District of Parañaque 


Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
TWENTIETH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ____ 
Introduced by HON. BRIAN RAYMUND S. YAMSUAN 
AN ACT 
GRANTING FREE TUITION FOR GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES ENROLLED IN 
GRADUATE EDUCATION MASTER'S PROGRAM AT STATE UNIVERSITIES AND 
COLLEGES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short title. — This Act shall be known as the “Free Master’s Degree 
Tuition for Government Employees Act”. 
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. — It is hereby declared the policy of the State to 
promote the enhanced professionalization of the civil service to further improve on the 
efficient delivery of public services to the people. Further, the State shall likewise 
upgrade its human resources to cope with the rapidly evolving societal and 
administrative requirements of a fast-moving polity. Towards this end, government 
workers, being an important component of the state's human resources, shall be given 
education advancement opportunities through adequate funding and such other 
mechanisms to improve their education levels, for the eventual benefit of the state 
bureaucracy in particular, and the country, in general. 
SECTION 3. Definition of Terms. — As used in this Act: 
(a) Government employees – refer to those who are employed, whether classified
as career or non-career service positions, by the National Government or any
of its political subdivision, instrumentalities, and agencies including government-
owned and/or controlled corporations, and local government units;
(b) Graduate Education – refers to higher education programs leading to a master’s
degree, as may be authorized and recognized by the Commission on Higher
2242


 
Education (CHED); 
 
(c) Master’s degree - refers to an academic qualification granted at the graduate 
education level to individuals who have successfully undergone study 
demonstrating a high level of expertise in a specific field of study or area of 
professional practice; 
 
(d) State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) – refer to higher education institutions 
created by special laws or charters, governed by their respective board of 
regents or board of trustees, chaired by the CHED Chairperson pursuant to 
Republic Act No. 8292 or the Higher Education Modernization Act of 1997; 
 
(e) Tuition fees – refer to fees or school charges at the rate approved by the SUC 
governing board for subjects or courses enrolled in by a graduate education 
student. The tuition fee does not include other school fees and miscellaneous 
charges, including, but not limited to: 
 
(i)  Fees prescribed for books 
(ii) Student registration fees; and 
(iii) Library fees. 
 
SECTION 4. Free Graduate Education for Government Employees in SUCs. — All 
career and non-career service government employees shall be granted free tuition fee 
for a maximum of two-years in a master’s program in any SUCs that they have 
successfully applied for; Provided, that non-career contractual government personnel 
must be employed for at least five (5) years at any time after the effectivity of this Act 
to qualify for this program; Provided, further, That the government employees pass the 
entrance examination and other admission and retention requirements of the SUCs; 
Provided, that students who fail to complete their master's degree within a year after 
the period prescribed in their graduate education program shall be ineligible to avail of 
the program. The amount required to implement the free tuition fees in SUCs shall be 
determined by the respective governing boards of SUCs based on the projected 
number of enrollees for each academic year, which shall be the primary factor in 
computing the annual proposed budget of SUCs. This shall in turn serve as the 
baseline during the preparation of the annual National Expenditure Program (NEP) by 
the Department of Budget and Management (DBM). 
 
SECTION 5. Ineligibility. — The following graduate students are ineligible to avail of 
the free graduate education leading to a master’s degree: 
 
(1) Government employees who were already granted with any government-
sponsored graduate education scholarship program in any higher education 
institution, whether public or private, in the country or abroad; 
(2) Government employees who fail to comply with the admission and retention 


 
policies of the SUC; 
(3) Government employees who fail to complete their master's degree within a year 
after the period prescribed in their graduate education program shall be 
ineligible to avail of the program; 
(4) Government employees with pending administrative charges involving grave 
offenses, such as, but not limited to, serious dishonesty, gross neglect of duty, 
conviction of a crime involving moral turpitude; and 
(5) Such other ineligibilities as may be reasonably identified by the Commission on 
Higher Education and the Civil Service Commission, Provided, that they are 
consistent and not contrary to the provisions and objectives of this Act. 
 
Government employees who are found to be ineligible to avail of the free graduate 
education leading to a master’s degree program shall be charged the tuition and other 
school fees as determined by the governing board of the SUCs. 
 
SECTION 6. Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR). — Within ninety (90) days 
from the effectivity of this Act, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), in 
coordination with the Civil Service Commission (CSC), shall promulgate the necessary 
rules and regulations to implement the provisions of this Act; Provided, That the non-
promulgation of the rules and regulations provided under this section shall not prevent 
the immediate implementation of this Act upon effectivity. 
 
SECTION 7. Separability Clause. — If any provision of this Act is declared invalid or 
unconstitutional, the other provisions hereof which are not affected thereby shall 
continue to be in full force and effect. 
 
SECTION 8. Repealing Clause. - AII laws, decrees, executive orders, letters of 
instructions, proclamations, rules and regulations, or parts thereof inconsistent with 
this Act shall be deemed modified, amended, or repealed accordingly. 
 
SECTION 9. Effectivity Clause. -This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
complete publication in the Official Gazette or a newspaper of general circulation. 
 
Approved,