Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
TWENTIETH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ____ 
Introduced by HON. KENNETH T. GATCHALIAN 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The State is mandated to protect and promote the right of all citizens to quality 
education and shall take appropriate measures to render education accessible 
to all in accordance to 1987 Constitution.1 The State shall also establish, 
maintain, and support a complete, adequate, and integrated system of 
education relevant to the needs of the people and society2 notwithstanding the 
academic freedom3 provided for in all higher education institutions.   
In relation to that, the Philippine higher education underwent major reforms 
from 2012 to 2021. One of which is the K to 12 law4 effectively adding two years 
to the country’s basic education cycle. Initially the rationale for the K to 12 law 
is to decrease the number of units5 or academic load needed to complete the 
general education (GE) courses. Subjects from GE are placed in the basic 
education curriculum. 
This revision of the Philippine education system, 
specifically the K to 12 program, seeks to provide a more comprehensive 
education that enhances critical thinking, collaboration, and real-world 
applications of knowledge. 6 This is also believed to meet the acceptable college 
1 1987 Philippine Constitution, Article XIV, Sec. 1. 
2 Id. at Sec. 2 (1).   
3 Id. at Sec. 5 (2).  
4 R.A. No. 10533 or the “Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013”, July 23, 2012. 
5  Senate Committee on Education, Arts, and Culture joint with Committee on Ways and Means; Committee on 
Finance; and Committee on Science and Technology. Public Hearing. Transcript. February 16, 2012 
6 Enrolled Undergraduate Programs in the Philippines. A Technical Report Commissioned by the Second 
Congressional Commission on Education of the Philippines (EDCOM II). 
July 30, 2025
11:32 am
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readiness standards as prescribed by Commission on Higher Education 
(CHED)7 improving further the global competitiveness of Filipino graduates.  
However, GE courses are continuously being required to be taken up on college 
level such that, overall, bachelor's degree programs in the Philippines remain 
to be denser as compared to scales from the EU8, Australia, and ASEAN9  The 
K to 12 law led to fewer General Education courses at colleges, but the reduction 
wasn't enough to significantly shorten the overall length of college programs.10 
This measure simplifies the structure of college education by setting the 
standard duration for a bachelor's degree to no more than three years, unless a 
longer period is required by law or for licensure purposes. Many countries that 
signed the Bologna Declaration in 1999 adopted this three-year system to make 
degrees more understandable and comparable across Europe. The goal was to 
improve student mobility, gain international recognition for qualifications, and 
make it easier to move from undergraduate to graduate studies. 
The majority of signatory countries have adopted the 3+2 model, consisting of 
three years for a bachelor’s degree and two years for a master’s degree. This 
structure is followed by nations such as Germany, Italy, France, Portugal, 
Austria, Belgium, Finland, and the United Kingdom11. Additionally, several 
non-signatory countries, including Australia12, India13, and New Zealand,14 
have implemented similar educational frameworks. 
This legislation allows the CHED to permit degree programs to be completed 
in less than three years when appropriate, based on industry needs, 
international standards, and best practices. This helps ensure that college 
programs stay current with technological and sectoral changes, improving 
quality and efficiency. 
7 USAID and RTI International. (2025). A Survey of Programs, Standards and Guidelines (PSGs) of the 10 
Most-Enrolled Undergraduate Programs in the Philippines. A Technical Report Commissioned by the Second 
Congressional Commission on Education of the Philippines (EDCOM II). 
8 European Union members are Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, 
Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the 
Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden. 
9 ASEAN members include Brunei Darussalam, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, 
Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. 
10 Senate Committee on Basic Education analysis based on the CHED (2024) data. 
11 https://www.u-eeni.edu.es/en/Degree-Duration-
Countries.shtml#:~:text=3%2Dyears%20Bachelor:%20Belgium%2C%20Finland%2C%20Italy%2C%20France
%2C%20Iceland%2C%20Switzerland%2C%20the%20United%20Kingdom.&text=Mixed%20systems%20(thre
e%20or%204%2Dyears):%20Germany%2C%20Austria%2C,Norway%2C%20Poland%2C%20Portugal%2C%
20Slovakia%2C%20Slovenia%2C%20and%20Spain 
12 https://www.studyaustralia.gov.au/en/plan-your-studies/universities-and-higher-education/undergraduate-
qualifications 
13 https://iee.com/blog/assessing-indian-education-degrees/ 
14 https://www2.nzqa.govt.nz/assets/Qualifications-standards/Understanding-NZQF/NZQF.pdf 


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It also upholds the autonomy of educational institutions by limiting CHED’s 
authority to set minimum course requirements only for specific programs and 
licensing purposes. 
By adopting a three-year, specialization-focused college system and including 
General Education subjects in the K to 12 curriculum, students can concentrate 
on professional courses that develop advanced skills in their chosen fields. This 
reform aims to make college education more focused, high-quality, and 
relevant, while preserving the academic freedom of colleges and universities as 
guaranteed by the Constitution. I encourage Congress to support and pass this 
important law quickly. 
KENNETH T. GATCHALIAN 


4
Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ____ 
Introduced by HON. KENNETH T. GATCHALIAN 
AN ACT 
PROVIDING FOR A THREE-YEAR SPECIALIZATION-FOCUSED COLLEGE 
EDUCATION IN THE PHILIPPINES AND AUTHORIZING THE COMMISSION 
ON HIGHER EDUCATION TO ALLOW FLEXIBILITY TO REDUCE COLLEGE 
ACADEMIC YEARS 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled:   
Section 1. Short Title. – This Act shall be known as the “Three-Year College 
Education (3CE) Act.” 
Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. – It is the policy of the State to establish, 
maintain, and support a complete, adequate, and integrated system of 
education that promotes accessible, efficient, and high-quality college 
education that is relevant to the needs of the people and society.  
Towards this end, the State shall ensure that college education focuses 
on immediate specialization in the students’ chosen fields of study, following 
the completion of general education courses at the basic education level, 
without infringing on the academic freedom of higher education institutions. 
Sec. 3. Definition of Terms. – As used in this Act: 
a.
Bachelor’s Degree shall refer to the undergraduate
academic degree conferred by a higher education institution upon 
completing coursework, typically over a span of three to six years, 
depending on the field of study and condition of students.  
b.
General Education shall refer to the component of the
curriculum oriented towards broad or wide-ranging understandings 
and exposes students to various domains of knowledge and ways of 
comprehending social and natural realities, developing in the process 
intellectual competencies such as critical, analytical and creative 
thinking, and multiple forms of expression; and civic capacities 
demanded of membership in the community, country, and the world.  
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c. 
General Education Courses shall refer to the courses that 
aim to enhance intellectual competencies, personal and civil 
responsibilities, and practical skills. It shall include both core courses 
and elective courses, which may be taught either in English or Filipino.  
d. 
Higher Education Institution shall refer to an institution of 
higher learning, primarily offering bachelor and advanced degree 
programs.  
e. 
Professional Courses shall refer to the specific courses 
prescribed by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the 
Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) required for licensure 
purposes. 
As 
distinguished 
from 
general 
education 
courses, 
professional courses focus on a particular discipline and are directed at 
more theoretical and technical knowledge.   
  
Sec. 4. Nominal Duration of Bachelor’s Degrees. – The nominal duration 
of any bachelor’s degree program offered by higher education institutions 
shall not exceed three (3) academic years, except as otherwise provided by law 
mandating a longer duration or additional requisites for licensure purposes.   
The CHED shall be authorized to allow flexibility for the degree programs 
to be completed in less than three (3) academic years, where appropriate: 
Provided, that the duration of such degree programs shall be determined 
based on assessed industry needs, international standards or benchmarks, 
and recognized best practices relevant to the specific degree program.   
The college academic years shall be devoted exclusively to professional 
courses aimed at developing advanced competencies in the student's chosen 
field of study. Further, the CHED, in consultation with the PRC, shall issue 
guidelines for the recognition and structuring of applicable exceptions.  
  
Sec. 5. Removal of General Education Courses in the College Curriculum. 
– General education courses shall not be required for the completion of the 
requirements of any bachelor’s degree in higher education institutions.  
All 
requisite 
general 
education 
courses, 
including 
those 
in 
communication, 
humanities, 
social 
sciences, 
natural 
sciences, 
and 
mathematics, shall be integrated and completed within the Senior High 
School (SHS) Program under the K to 12 Basic Education Curriculum.   
The CHED, in coordination with the Department of Education (DepEd), 
shall ensure the alignment of the SHS curriculum with the knowledge base 
required for specialization at the college level to foster critical thinking and 
ensure college readiness of students, provide more time for internship and 
advanced specialization in higher education, enhance the overall efficiency 
and quality of higher learning, and avoid remedial and duplication of basic 
education subjects, consistent with the mandate of Republic Act No. 10533 
or the “Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013”.  
  
Sec. 6. Guarantee of Academic Freedom. – Nothing in this Act shall be 
construed as limiting the academic freedom of higher education institutions. 
In particular, no abridgment of curricular freedom of the individual 
educational institutions by the CHED shall be made except for setting the 
minimum unit requirements for specific academic programs and professional 


 
6
courses as may be stipulated by the various licensing entities. Further, no 
academic or curricular restriction shall be made upon private higher 
education institutions which are not similarly imposed on chartered state 
universities and colleges.  
  
Sec. 7. Transitory Provision. – The DepEd and higher education 
institutions shall be given a transition period of three (3) years from the 
effectivity of this Act to redesign and implement their respective curricula in 
accordance herewith.  
  
Sec. 8. Implementing Rules and Regulations. – Within ninety (90) days 
from the effectivity of this Act, the CHED, in coordination with the DepEd and 
the PRC, shall issue the necessary rules and regulations for its effective 
implementation. The rules and regulations issued pursuant to this section 
shall take effect thirty (30) days after its publication in a newspaper of general 
circulation.  
  
Sec. 9. Separability Clause. – If any provision or part of this Act is 
declared invalid or unconstitutional, the remaining provisions or parts not 
affected shall remain in full force and effect.  
  
Sec. 10. Repealing Clause. – Pertinent provisions of Republic Act No. 
7722 or the “Higher Education Act of 1994”, and all other laws, executive 
orders, presidential decrees, administrative orders, rules and regulations, 
issuances, or parts thereof inconsistent with or contrary to the provisions of 
this Act are hereby repealed or amended accordingly.   
  
Sec. 11. Effectivity. – Notwithstanding the non-issuance of the IRR, this 
Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the Official Gazette 
or in a newspaper of general circulation.  
  
Approved,