Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

Seventeenth Congress
First Regular Session

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
HB. No.

Introduced by Representative H. Harry L. Roque Jr.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Diploma mills or entities that sell fraudulent degrees, diplomas, or certifications, have
proliferated in recent decades due to inconsistent law enforcement and technological
advances such as the Internet and electronic mail. These diploma mills take many different
forms but often share common characteristics, such as lack of accreditation or false claims of
accreditation by agencies not recognized by the Commission on Higher Education. These
institutions do not require previous academic records for admission. The tuition fee is
charged based on the number of degrees purchased, rather than the number of credit hours or
courses taken and the credits for degrees are offered based on life experience rather than
academic work. In these institutions, students can receive degrees in far less time than at
legitimate, accredited institutions of higher education and their faculties do not have degrees
‘or credentials from accredited institutions. More often than not, the names of these

institutions are very similar to legitimate, accredited institutions of higher education.

Rapidly growing commerce in fraudulent academic credentials imperils the national
security of the Philippines. The safety of the Philippine public is particularly endangered by
the sale of fraudulent medical, engineering, science, and education degrees. Some individuals


who obtain degrees from diploma mills are conspirators in fraudulent behavior, but others are

innocent consumers who have become victims of financial scams,

However, efforts to shut down diploma mills have been weak and erratic due to
variations in the laws and agency policies, insufficient enforcement mechanisms and political

priorities.

‘The regulation of education in the country is, in general, « State responsibility, and the
development and regulation of academic standards in higher education is the responsibility of
institutions of higher education. The government should have uniform standards to determine

the legitimacy of degrees, diplomas, certifications, and degree-granting institutions.

‘This Act is necessary to protect institutions of higher education, businesses, and other
employers, professional licensing boards, patients and clients of degree holders, taxpayers,
and other individuals from any person claiming to possess a legitimate academic degree that
in fact was issued by a fraudulent or nonexistent school, by a non-educational entity posing

as a school, or by any entity in violation of law.”

H. HARRY L. ROQUE JR.

‘was originally filed by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago in the Sixteenth Congress, First Regular

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Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

Seventeenth Congress
First Regular Session

HOUSE OF REP! ‘ATIVES
HB. No. Sue

Introduced by Representative H. Harry L. Roque Jr.

AN ACT
REGULATING THE PROLIFERATION OF FRAUDULENT DEGREES, DIPLOMAS,
AND CERTIFICATIONS ISSUED BY UNAUTHORIZED DEGREE GRANTING
INSTITUTIONS
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 “Diploma Integrity

Protection Act”

SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. ~ The State shall give priority to education,

science and technology, arts, culture, and sports to foster patriotism and nationalis

accelerate social progress, and promote total human liberation and development.

SECTION 3. Definition of Terms. — As used in this Act unless the context indicates
otherwise, the following definition of terms shall be adopted

A, “Degree-Granting Institution” refers to any entity that offers or confers an
academic, professional, or occupational degree, diploma, or certificate, if such degree,

diploma, or certificate may be used to represent to the general public that the individual


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possessing such degree, diploma, or certificate has completed a program of education or

training beyond secondary education.

B.

“Diploma Mill” refers to any entity that
lacks valid accreditation from the Commission on Higher Education (CHED);
and

offers degrees, diplomas, or certifications, for a fee, that may be used to
represent to the general public that the individual possessing such a degree,
diploma, or certification has completed a program of education or training
beyond secondary education , but little or no education or course work is

required to obtain such a degree, diploma, or certification.

SECTION 4, List of Recognized Accrediting Agencies and Institutions, ~ The CHED

Make available in a regularly updated electronic format, a list of —
accrediting agencies and associations, recognized by the CHED;

foreign degree-granting institutions that—

have degree-granting authority, as granted by the appropriate agency in the

home country of such institution,

. issue degrees that are accepted for professional licensure, public employment,

and admission into graduate programs of degree-granting institutions in the
home country,
are determined by the CHED to be academically equivalent to an eligible

institution, and

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d. are located in a home country that is capable of performing an effective
academic evaluation of the degree-granting institutions to which it issues
degree-granting authority.

B. Modify and maintain the lists described in subsection (1) as necessary to
ensure that the lists and the information contained in the lists are accurate and up-to-date,

based on the most recent information available to the CHED.

SECTION 5. Accrediting Agencies. — No accrediting agency or association may be
considered to be a reliable authority as to the quality of education or training offered by a
degree-granting institution for any purpose related to immigration, employment and hiring
practices, or for any other purposes, unless the agency or association is on the list of

accrediting agencies and associations recognized by the CHED.

SECTION 6. Civil Service Employment. — For purposes of applying any civil service
law, rule, or regulation that requires or takes into consideration a degree from an institution of
higher education for purposes of appointment or promotion of, or improved pay for an
employee, only a degree from a degree-granting institution that is on the list of eligible
institutions recognized by the CHED and provided to the appropriate government agency

under section 4 shall be acceptable.

SECTION 7. Diploma Mill Task Force, —

A. Establishment of a Task Force — The CHED shall establish a Diploma Mill
‘Task Force (referred to in this Act as the “Task Force”).

B. Membership — The Task Force shall, if practicable, be composed of the

following members:


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1 A commissioner of CHED;

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A representative of the Department of Education with experience related to the
determination of the legitimacy and quality of degrees from foreign
institutions of higher education, selected by the Secretary of Education;

3. A representative of the Department of Justice;

4 A representative of the Department of Labor and Employment, selected by the

Secretary of Labor and Employment;

5. A representative of the Professional Regulatory Commission,

6. A representative of the Civil Service Commission; and

re ‘Two individuals from the academe with experience in higher education, the

detection of fraudulent degrees and degree-granting institutions, or law
enforcement related to credential fraud.

Cc Criteria for Membership. - All members of the Task Force shall be persons
who are especially qualified to serve on the Task Force by virtue of their education, training,
or experience, particularly in the fields of higher education, accreditation of institutions of
higher education, foreign higher education standards, government regulation of institutions of
higher education, immigration, civil service employment requirements and hiring practices,
or fraud prevention, detection, or enforcement.

D. Task Force Chair — At the first meeting of the Task Force, the members of the
‘Task Force shall elect a member of the Task Force to serve as Chair

EB Task Force Guidelines — The Task Force shall develop guidelines, to be used
for the development of government legislation, to identify degree-granting institutions as
legitimate or fraudulent degree-granting institutions for government purposes. In developing

such guidelines, the Task Force shall consider the following:


Characteristics of degree-granting institutions that help determine the

legitimacy of the institution, such as whether an entity—

offers or confers degrees, diplomas, or certificates—

i. for little or no meaningful academic work;

ii. without requiring an appropriate level of academic achievement for the
attainment of such degrees, diplomas, or certificates; or

iii, without imposing academic or other requirements for admittance into the

institutions or programs offering such degrees, diplomas, or certificates;

. has fiscal and administrative structures and capacity appropriate to the

specified scale of educational operations,

has resources to support claims as a degree-granting institution, including
curricula, qualified faculty, facilities, equipment, and supplies, student support
services, objectives of the degrees or credentials offered, admissions practices,
‘academic calendars and catalogs, and a grading system, and

has degree-granting authority issued by CHED in which degrees, or
instruction leading to degrees, are offered, and is recognized by the CHED as
an approved institution of higher education ;

The feasibility of defining the term “fraudulent degree-granting institution”
(commonly referred to as “diploma mills”), and if feasible, shall define such
term for use in government laws and regulations;

The issues related to:

the detection of new and existing fraudulent degree-granting institutions,

. recognition and prevention of the practices used by such fraudulent degree

granting institutions to avoid detection,


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cc. the enforcement of laws and regulations prohibiting such fraudulent degree
granting institutions and practices and the use of fraudulent degrees; and

d. the prosecution of such fraudulent degree-granting institutions and practices
and the use of fraudulent degrees,
Difficulties in identifying fraudulent degree-granting institutions located in
foreign countries, or that claim recognition or degree-granting authority from
foreign countries,
Means to alert and educate the public about fraudulent degree-granting
institutions and the use of fraudulent degrees;
Laws, regulations, and other means used to address fraudulent degree~
‘granting institutions and the use of fraudulent degrees;
The potential need for coordination and cooperation among various
government agencies to investigate and prosecute suspected fraudulent
degree-granting institutions, and the detailed recommendations of the Task
Force regarding such coordination and cooperation;
‘The study and the report to the Task Force and the purposes for which various
agencies and educational institutions need to identify fraudulent degree—
granting institutions, and identify, prohibit, and prevent the use of degrees
issued by such fraudulent institutions, and the ability of such agencies to
implement any guidelines considered by the Task Force.

SECTION 8. Appropriation. — The amount of Five Million Pesos (P5,000,000.00) is
hereby authorized to be appropriated for the Diploma Mill Task Force. Thereafter, the funds
necessary for the operation of the Task Force shall be included in the General Appropriations


SECTION 9. Separability Clause. ~ If any provision or part thereof is held invalid or
unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall remain

valid and subsisting

SECTION 10. Repealing Clause. ~ All laws, presidential decrees or issuances,
executive orders, letters of instruction, administrative orders, rules, and regulations contrary
to or inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed, modified, or amended

accordingly.

SECTION 11. Effecttvity Clause. — This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days

following its publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,