NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
Third Regular Session
1
SENATE
S.B. No. 2911
^5 .l/lN-8 P 3 :17
Introduced by SENATOR WIN GATCHALIAN
AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE TO PRIVATE BASIC 
EDUCATION, FURTHER AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT 
NO. 6728, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE <(GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE TO 
STUDENTS AND TEACHERS IN PRIVATE EDUCATION ACT”, AS 
AMENDED, AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR
EXPLANATORY NOTE
The 1987 Constitution provides that the State shall protect and 
promote the right of all citizens to quality education at all levels and shall take 
appropriate steps to make such education accessible to all. The enactment of 
Republic Act (R.A.) No. 6728, otherwise known as the “Government Assistance 
to Students and Teachers in Private Education Act” (GASTPE), recognizes the 
complementary roles of public and private educational institutions by 
providing assistance to students in private education at the high school, 
technical-vocational, and tertiary levels.
One form of assistance institutionalized under Section 4 of R.A. No. 
6728 is the Educational Service Contracting (ESC) Scheme whereby a subsidy 
is provided to qualified high school learners in private high schools. At the 
time, proponents of the ESC Scheme deemed it a possible solution to four key 
problems in public high schools: congestion, low quality of education, higher


per student cost in public schools as compared to private schools, and 
declining viability of private high schools.1 R.A. No. 6728 was later amended 
by R.A. No. 8545, entitled “Expanded Government Assistance to Students and 
Teachers in Private Education Act” (E-GASTPE), which expanded the coverage 
of assistance for high school learners and included assistance for teachers in 
private education by institutionalizing an In-Service Training (INSET) fund 
and the Teacher’s Salary Subsidy (TSS).
Coverage under the E-GASTPE was further amended by Section 10 of 
R.A. No. 10533, otherwise known as the “Enhanced Basic Education Act of 
2013”, expanding benefits to qualified learners enrolled in Grades 11 and 12 
or Senior High School (SHS). To address classroom shortage due to the 
creation of new grade levels in basic education, assistance in the form of the 
SHS Voucher Program (VP) was developed by the DepEd to provide vouchers 
to qualified SHS learners in VP-participating SHSs.2 Currently, the ESC 
Scheme, SHS-VP, INSET, and TSS programs are being jointly implemented by 
the DepEd and the Private Education Assistance Committee (PEAC).3
The E-GASTPE Program is the largest program under the DepEd. From 
Php 21.2 billion in 2016, the program’s budget more than doubled to Php 
53.2 billion in 2023. For 2024, the E-GASTPE Program has been allocated a 
budget of Php 40.48 billion based on the 2024 General Appropriations Act. 
This allocation makes up 5.7% of the DepEd’s total annual appropriations.
On February 6, 2024, this representation filed Proposed Senate 
Resolution No. 925 which was referred to the Committee on Basic Education, 
joint with Finance, to discuss and assess the implementation of the E-
1 World Bank, A Review of the Government’s Education Service Contracting Program, 2011, 
pp. 15-16, retrieved from
https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/entities/publication/ lae4ccl3-e390-5059-82be-
b25cca219d46
2 DepEd Order (D.O.) No. 020, s. 2023, Guidelines on the Implementation of the Senior High 
School Voucher Program, July 26, 2023.
3 As provided under the special provisions of the annual General Appropriations Act; See also 
DepEd D.O. No. 006, s. 2022, Reconstitution of the Government Assistance and Subsidies 
Composite Team, March 4, 2022.


GASTPE Act, for the purpose of crafting complementary or amendatory 
legislation. The Committee conducted two public hearings on February 28 
and March 20, 2024.
The public hearings showed that the E-GASTPE Program is the main 
vehicle through which complementarity is practiced in basic education with 
certain perceived benefits.' The DepEd confirmed in its analysis, together With 
the Asian Development Bank, that it would be more cost-efficient for the 
government to invest in private education by expanding the coverage of the 
Program rather than building classrooms and providing for complementary 
resources such as teacher salary and furniture.4 Based on the study, 
accommodating an estimated 7.3 million excess learners in public schools 
over the next 30 years would cost the government a total of Php 3.7 trillion or 
Php 124 billion annually. Meanwhile, funding a voucher program over the 
same period would cost Php 2.6 trillion or Php 86 billion annually. Hence, 
through the E-GASTPE Program, the government would save Php 1.1 trillion.5
However, the ESC Scheme, in its current form, has failed to achieve the 
objectives of decongesting public high schools and providing equitable access 
to quality education for “poor but deserving” learners. Its inherent design 
flaws—lack of evidence-based slot allocation, perverse incentives for private 
schools, and the complexity of enabling conditions—render it ineffective and 
inequitable. Discontinuing the ESC Scheme in favor of a voucher system is a 
simpler and more cost-effective alternative. Adopting a voucher system will 
foster competition among private schools by incentivizing them to enhance 
the quality of education while keeping costs affordable. The relative simplicity 
of allocating vouchers to learners in congested public schools further 
enhances its appeal.
4 DepEd, Transcript of Stenographic Notes on the 1st Public Hearing of the Committee on 
Basic Education on PSRN 925 dated February 28, 2024, p. 43.
5 Id. at pp. 51-54.


In support of these findings and to further operationalize the principle 
of complementarity to achieve the country’s goals in education, this bill 
further expands the coverage of R.A. No. 6728, as amended, to integrate all 
basic education levels through the following provisions:
(1) Expansion of government assistance to private basic education to 
include learners from Kindergarten to Grade 6;
(2) Uniform implementation of tuition fee subsidy through a voucher 
system;
(3) Strengthening the objectives of the law by decongesting overcrowded 
classrooms in public basic education schools and prioritizing 
learners belonging to low income households and Alternative 
Learning System completers;
(4) Ensuring accountability and transparency in the engagement of 
support services of relevant government agencies or qualified private 
entities; and
(5) Removing all assistance for post-secondary education programs 
handled by the Commission on Higher Education and the Technical 
Education and Skills Development Authority.
It is my fervent hope that this legislation will contribute to the 
strengthening of the complementary roles of public and private institutions in 
the Philippine educational system by providing uniform government 
assistance for private basic education. Likewise, this bill shall ensure 
transparency and accountability of public funds that may be handled by 
private entities in the delivery of support services. 'prCis, I eajmestly seek the 
support of this Congress for its immediate passE
GATC


NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
Third Regular Session
]
SENATE
S.B. No. 2911
25 ,IAN-S P3:17
I’iXh''
Introduced by SENATOR WIN GATCHALIAN
AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE TO PRIVATE BASIC 
EDUCATION, FURTHER AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT 
NO. 6728, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE “GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE TO 
STUDENTS AND TEACHERS IN PRIVATE EDUCATION ACT”, AS 
AMENDED, AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled:
1 
SECTION 1. This Act shall be known as the “Government Assistance to
2 
Private Basic Education Acf.
3
4 
SEC. 2. Section 2 of Republic Act No. 6728, entitled the “Government
5 
Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education Act”, as amended
6 
by Republic Act No. 10533, or the “Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013”
7 
and Republic Act No. 8545, or the “Expanded Government Assistance to
8 
Students and Teachers in Private Education Act” is hereby further amended
9 
to read as follows:
10 
“SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. — It is a declared policy of the
11 
State in conformity with the mandate of the Constitution, to
12 
promote and make quality education accessible to all Filipino
13 
citizens. The State also hereby recognizes the complementary
14 
roles of public and private educational institutions in the
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educational system and the invaluable contribution that the 
private schools have made and will make to education. For 
these purposes, the State shall provide the mechanisms to 
improve quality in private education by maximizing the use of 
existing resources of private education, recognizing in the 
process the government’s responsibility to provide basic 
[elementary—and—secondary—education,—post-secondary
vocational and technical education, and higher] education 
as having priority over its other functions.
THE ENHANCED BASIC EDUCATION PROGRAM 
ENCOMPASSES AT LEAST ONE (1) YEAR OF 
KINDERGARTEN EDUCATION, SIX (6) YEARS OF 
ELEMENTARY EDUCATION, AND SIX (6) YEARS OF 
SECONDARY EDUCATION, PURSUANT TO REPUBLIC ACT 
NO. 10533, OR THE “ENHANCED BASIC EDUCATION ACT 
OF 2013”.
[“Elementary- education is the first six (6) years of basic
education^—excluding pre-school and grade seven, the
completion of which is attested by a certificate issued by
or with permission of the Department of Education, Culture
and Sports. Secondary education is the next four (4) years
of basic education, the completion of which is attested by
a high school diploma issued by or with permission of the
Department of Education^ Culture and Sports.
“Post-secondary—education—may—be—education—and
training in non-degree vocational and technical courses
offered—in—post-secondary—vocational—and—technical
institutions or education in degree courses offered by
higher educational institutions, the completion of which
are attested by a certificate or diploma issued by or with
permission—of—the—Technical—Education—and—Skills
Development Authority (TESDA) or the Commission on
Higher Education (CHED), respectively.]”


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SEC. 3. SEC. 3 of Republic Act No. 6728, as amended, is hereby further
2 
amended to read as follows:
3 
“SEC. 3. Criteria for Assistance. — The programs for
4 
assistance shall be based on a set of criteria which shall
5 
include, [among others] BUT NOT LIMITED TO, CLASSROOM
6 
CONGESTION, OVERALL PERFORMANCE, AND tuition AND
7 
OTHER fees charged by [the] PRIVATE BASIC EDUCATION
8 
schools[7]; [the socioeconomic needs of each region giving
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priority to the Social Reform Agenda (SRA) provinces,
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overall-----performance-----of---- schools,-----the-----academic
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qualifications,—and] financial needs of the [students]
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LEARNERS[y]; and PERFORMANCE OF PRIVATE BASIC
13 
EDUCATION [the] teachers [, and the financial needs of the
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schools, as well as the- geographic spread and size of
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student population].
16 
FOR PURPOSES OF THIS ACT, PRIVATE BASIC
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EDUCATION SHOOLS SHALL INCLUDE PRIVATE
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EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS OFFERING BASIC EDUCATION.
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PRIVATE BASIC EDUCATION TEACHERS SHALL INCLUDE
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TEACHERS IN PRIVATE EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS
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OFFERING BASIC EDUCATION.
22 
[“In addition to- the foregoing criteria, within such
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reasonable time as the respective-State-Assistance Council
24 
may—determine,—student—grantees—under—the—Private
25 
Education Student Financial Assistance Program shall be
26 
enrolled in schools which have accredited programs or are
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applying for accreditation as may be recognized by the
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respective State Assistance Council.]
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[“Preference shall be given to students whose family
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income is not more than Seventy-two thousand pesos
31 
(P72,000.00) or such amounts as may be determined by the
32 
respective councils, as defined hereinafter.]
33 
[“For purposes of this Act, programs of assistance to


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students and teachers of private post-secondary vocational
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and—technical—institutions—and—higher—educational
3 
institutions shall likewise be extended to students and
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teachers of community colleges in degree and non-degree
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programs. Implementation of the program shall encourage
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students—to—undergo—post-secondary—vocational—and
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technical and higher education courses in the same region
8 
where their families reside*]
9 
“The programs of assistance under this Act shall be extended
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only to [students] LEARNERS who are citizens of the
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Philippines.
12 
“The [State—Assistance—Council,—jointly—with—the]
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Department of Education (DEPED) [, Culture and Sports
14 
(DECS),—the—GHED—and—the—TESDA] shall formulate
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measurement standards for the [evaluation of the quality of
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courses---- as----weH----as----the---- standing----and----status]
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ACCREDITATION AND QUALITY ASSURANCE of [the]
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recipient institutions.
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[<<Within five (5) years from the approval of this Act, the
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assistance shall be given to schools: Provided, That the
21 
present allocation of the tuition fee and other income of
22 
the schools shall be used at the same-proportion and
23 
aHocation as provided by law.]”
24
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SEC. 4. SEC. 4 of Republic Act No. 6728, as amended, is hereby futher
26 
amended to read as follows:
27 
“SEC. 4. Forms of Assistance. — [Assistance to private
28 
education shall consist of assistance to students and
29 
assistance to teachers.] 
The following are THE forms of
30 
assistance to [students] 
LEARNERS in private BASIC
31 
education SCHOOLS:
32 
“(1) Tuition fee [supplements] SUBSIDY [for students
33 
in—private—high—schools,—including—students—in


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vocational and technical courses]; AND
2 
“(2) [High School] BASIC EDUCATION [Textbook]
3 
LEARNING MATERIALS Assistance Fund.[; Provided^
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That the textbook assistance per student in private
5 
high schools shall be determined by the council and
6 
shall not exceed-what-students in public high schools
7 
are—provided—on—a—per—student—basis—under—a
8 
comprehensive textbook program of the Secondary
9 
Education Development Program (SEDP)i Providedt
10 
further, That the textbook assistance shall be granted
11 
only to beneficiaries of tuition fee supplements and
12 
educational service contracting scheme provided in
13 
this Act;
14 
“(3) Expansion of the existing Educational Service
15 
Contracting (ESC) Scheme;
16 
“(4) The voucher system of the Private Education
17 
Student Financial Assistance Program (PESFA);
18 
“(5) Scholarship grants to students graduating as
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valedictorians—and—salutatorians—from—secondary
20 
schools;
21 
“(6) Tuition fee supplements to students in private
22 
colleges and universities; and
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“(7) Education Loan Fund.]
24 
“The following are THE forms of assistance to teachers [and
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faculty] in private BASIC education SCHOOLS:
26 
“(1) In-service training fund [for teachers in private
27 
high schools]; and
28 
“(2) [College Faculty Development Fund] TEACHERS*
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SALARY SUBSIDY FUND.”
30
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SEC. 5. SEC. 5 of Republic Act No. 6728, as amended, is hereby further
32 
amended to read as follows:
33 
“SEC. 5. Tuition Fee [Supplements for Students in Private High


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Schools] SUBSIDY. - [(1) Financial Assistance for tuition for 
students] TO COMPLY WITH THE STANDARD CLASSROOM- 
LEARNER RATIO BY DECONGESTING OVERCROWDED 
CLASSROOMS IN PUBLIC BASIC EDUCATION SCHOOLS, 
TUITION FEE SUBSIDY FOR LEARNERS in [private high] SUCH 
schools shall be provided by the government through a voucher 
system: [in the following manner: ^^a) For students enrolled in 
schools charging an amount as may be determined by the State
Assistance Council, the government shall provide them with a 
voucher in such an amount as may be determined by the
eeuneih] PROVIDED, THAT LEARNERS BELONGING TO LOW 
INCOME HOUSEHOLDS SHALL BE PRIORITIZED: PROVIDED, 
FURTHER, THAT ALTERNATIVE LEARNING SYSTEM 
(ALS) COMPLETERS UNDER REPUBLIC ACT NO. 11510, 
OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE “ALTERNATIVE LEARNING 
SYSTEM ACT”, SHALL BE AUTOMATIC RECIPIENTS OF THE 
SUBSIDY.
THE AMOUNT OF THE VOUCHER SHALL BE DETERMINED BY 
THE DEPED AND SHALL BE REVIEWED EVERY THREE (3) 
YEARS: Provided, That the government shall reimburse the 
[vouchers from the] schools concerned within [one hundred 
twenty (120)] SIXTY (60) days from the close of the registration 
period. THE DEPED SHALL FURTHER ENSURE QUALITY 
STANDARDS FOR SUCH SCHOOLS TO QUALIFY AS RECIPIENT 
INSTITUTIONS.
["(2) Assistance under paragraph (1), subparagraph (a) shall be
guaranteed to all private high schools participating in the
program for a number of slots as of the effectivity of this Act as
the—total number of students who—availed of tuition fee
supplements for school year 1997-1998: Provided, That the 
State Assistance Council may in subsequent years determine
additional slots and/or additional participating high schools as
may be deemed necessary.]”
6


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SEC. 6. SEC. 6 of Republic Act No. 6728, as amended, is hereby further
2 
amended to read as follows:
3 
“SEC. 6. [High School] BASIC EDUCATION [Textbook]
4 
LEARNING MATERIALS Assistance Fund. — There shall be
5 
established in the [Department of Education, Culture and
6 
Sports (DECS)] DEPED, a [High School] BASIC EDUCATION
7 
[Textbook] LEARNING MATERIALS Assistance Fund, so that
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assistance on a per [student] LEARNER basis shall be given to
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[students] LEARNERS enrolled in private schools exclusively
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for the purchase of [high—school] BASIC EDUCATION
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[textbooks] LEARNING MATERIALS [, in support of the
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implementation of the Secondary Education Development
13 
Program]: Provided, That the [textbook] LEARNING
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MATERIALS assistance per [student] LEARNER in private
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[high] BASIC EDUCATION schools shall be determined by the
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[council] DEPED and shall not exceed what [students]
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LEARNERS in public [high] BASIC EDUCATION schools are
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provided on a per [student] LEARNER basis: Provided, further,
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That the [textbook] LEARNING MATERIALS assistance shall
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be granted only to [beneficiaries] RECIPIENTS of THE tuition
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fee [supplements and—educational—service—contracting
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scheme] SUBSIDY AS provided in this Act.”
23
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SEC. 7. Sections 7 (Expansion of the Existing Educational Service
25 
Contracting (ESC) Scheme), 8 (Assistance to College Freshmen), 9 (Further
26 
Assistance to Students in Private Colleges and Universities), 10 (Education
27 
Loan Fund), and 11 of Republic Act No. 6728, as amended, are hereby deleted.
28
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SEC. 8. SEC. 12 of Republic Act No. 6728, as amended, is hereby
30 
further amended to read as follows:
31 
“SEC. 12. In-service Training Fund (Inset Fund). — For the
32 
purpose of improving the quality of teaching in private
33 
[secondary] BASIC education SCHOOLS, there is hereby


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established in the [Department of Eduoationt Culture and
2 
Sports] DEPED an Inset Fund to provide for the upgrading of
3 
knowledge and teaching competencies in critical subject areas
4 
and for the modernization of teaching techniques and
5 
strategies, including training in the use of [computers and of
6 
other—multi-media] educational technologies to assist
7 
instruction: Provided, That the Inset Fund shall be available
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only to qualified licensed teachers in participating private [high]
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BASIC EDUCATION schools as determined by the [State
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Assistance—Council] DEPED: Provided, further. That the
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amount of Inset Fund available to private [secondary] BASIC
12 
education SCHOOLS shall not exceed that available to public
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[secondary] BASIC education SCHOOLS on a per capita basis.”
14
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SEC. 9. Section 13 (College Faculty Development Fund) of Republic Act
16 
No. 6728, as amended, is hereby deleted.
17
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SEC. 10. SEC. 14 of Republic Act No. 6728, as amended, is hereby
19 
further amended to read as follows:
20 
“SEC. 14. Teachers’ Salary Subsidy Fund. — A Teachers’
21 
Salary Subsidy Fund is hereby established in the [DECS]
22 
DEPED to grant government subsidy to teachers in private
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[high] BASIC EDUCATION schools participating in the
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[programs of assistance] VOUCHER SYSTEM AS provided in
25 
this Act: Provided, THAT PRIORITY SHALL BE GIVEN TO
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HIGH PERFORMING TEACHERS USING STANDARDS-
27 
BASED ASSESSMENTS, PERFORMANCE EVALUATIONS, OR
28 
OTHER APPROPRIATE MEASURES OF TEACHING
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COMPETENCE: PROVIDED, FURTHER, That the total monthly
30 
salary which includes the subsidy to be received by such private
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[high] BASIC EDUCATION [school] teachers shall not be more
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than eighty percent (80%) of the salary of [his] THEIR
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counterparts in the public sector: Provided, furtherMORE, That
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the amount of monthly subsidy shall not exceed the amount of
2 
any monthly salary increase that teachers in public high
3 
schools shall after the effectivity of this Act hereinafter receive:
4 
Provided, furtherMORE, That private [high] BASIC EDUCATION
5 
[school] teachers qualified to receive THE subsidy under this
6 
Act are duly licensed by the Professional Regulation
7 
Commission: Provided, [further] FINALLY, That the
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[government] DEPED shall provide them with a [voucher for
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the] salary subsidy which shall be [reimbursed] PAID OUT
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directly to the teachers within [sixty (60)] THIRTY (30) days
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after the close of the school year upon submission of proof of
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qualification and actual teaching service in [a] participating
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private [high] BASIC EDUCATION schools [r—Provided,
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finally, That the present allocation out of increases from
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tuition and other income shall be maintained; Provided^
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finally» That in case of insufRciency of fundsy priority shall
17 
be given to married teachers supporting a family]. ”
18
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SEC. 11. SEC. 15 of Republic Act No. 6728, as amended, is hereby
20 
further amended to read as follows:
21 
“SEC. 15. Program Administrationf/J; Rules and Regulations.
22 
— The [State Assistance Council] DEPED shall be responsible
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for policy guidance and direction, monitoring and evaluation of
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new and existing programs, [and the] promulgation of the rules
25 
and regulations, [while—the—Department—of Education^
26 
Culture and Sports> shall be responsible for] day to day
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administration[,] and program implementation for the
28 
programs of assistance to private [secondary] BASIC education
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SCHOOLS [j—post-secondary—vocational—and—technical
30 
education and higher education, respectively]. Likewise, it
31 
may engage the SUPPORT services [and support] of any
32 
[qualified] RELEVANT government or QUALIFIED private
33 
[entity for its] ENTITIES TO ASSIST IN THE implementation


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OF THE PROGRAMS UNDER THIS ACT: PROVIDED, THAT 
THE ENGAGEMENT OF PRIVATE ENTITIES UNDER THIS 
SECTION SHALL BE SUBJECT TO PROCUREMENT LAWS 
AND REGULATIONS, AND SUCH PRIVATE ENTITIES SHALL 
BE SUBJECT TO THE POWER AND AUTHORITY OF THE 
COMMISSION ON AUDIT WITH RESPECT TO THE USE OF 
PUBLIC FUNDS RECEIVED PURSUANT TO THIS ACT.
["The State Assistance Council, hereinafter known as the
Council, shall be headed by the Secretary of Education,
Culture and Sports as-chairperson, the chairperson of the
CHED and the director-general of the TESDA as ce-
ohairpersons,—with—representatives—from—the—National
Economic and Development Authority, the-Department of
Budget and Management, the Department of Science and
Technology,—and—representatives—from—duly—organized
nationwide associations of teachers, students, parents, and
school administrators concerned with seeendary, post­
secondary vocational-and technical education and higher 
education as members. The last three (3) members shall be
appointed by the Council upon the recommendation of
their respective sectors-for a-term of one (1) school year
subject to re-appointment for a maximum term of four (4)
school years. A representative each from the Committees
on—Education—of both—Houses—of Congress—shall—be
designated resource persons to the CounciL
"The Council shall meet, from time to time, as the need
arises, to assess the effectivity of the programs and -to
ensure—that—the—secondary—schools,—post-secondary
vocational—and—technical—institutions—and—higher
educational—institutions—where—student—recipients—are
enrolled continue to provide quality education. For this
purpose, the Council shall establish criteria, to determine
which secondary schools, post-secondary vocational and
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technical institutions and higher edueational institutions
may continue to enroll students and teachers/faculty as
recipients of government assistance under this Act.],,
SEC. 12. Transitory Provision. - Upon the effectivity of this Act, 
recipients of the Educational Service Contracting Scheme under Republic Act 
No. 6728, as amehded, shall become voucher recipients under Sec. 5 herein: 
Provided, That they meet the criterion on financial need under Sec. 3.
Further, all forms of assistance for post-secondary education programs 
under Republic Act No. 6728, as amended, shall be transferred to and 
managed by the Unified Student Financial Assistance System for Tertiary 
Education (UniFAST) Board, as created by Republic Act No. 10687, otherwise 
known as the “Unified Student Financial Assistance System for Tertiary 
Education (UniFAST) Act.”
SEC. 13. Annual Report. - Three (3) years after the effectivity of this Act, 
the DepEd shall commence the submission of annual reports on the status of 
its implementation to the Committee on Basic Education of the Senate and 
the Committee on Basic Education and Culture of the House of 
Representatives.
SEC. 14. Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR). - The DepEd, in 
consultation with the DBM, relevant government agencies, and other 
education stakeholders, shall formulate and issue the rules and regulations 
within sixty (60) days after the effectivity of this Act. The IRR issued pursuant 
to this section shall take effect thirty (30) days after its publication in a 
newspaper of general circulation.
SEC. 15. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part 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.
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SEC. 16. Repealing Clause. - 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. 17. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after 
its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.
Approved,
12