Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SIXTEENTH (16™) CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No__1757

Introduced by Hon. Joseph Gilbert F. Violago

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The 1987 Constitution mandates the State “to protect and promote the right of all citizens
to quality education at all levels and to take appropriate steps to make education accessible to
alll.” (Art. XIV Sec. 1)

Various international instruments, such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and the Convention on the
Rights of the Child, to which the Philippines is signatory, have also declared education as a right
and not just a privilege. Hence, the country is duty-bound to provide free, quality and accessible
education.

However, considering the rising cost of education, especially college education, more
and more high school graduates find it impossible to enrol in college or drop out and fail to ean
a degree.

Data from the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) showed that enrolees in higher
education institutions (HEIs) from 2001 to the present have reached 2.56 million, but the dropout
rate reached an alarming 83.7 percent. This means that the country is producing 2.13 million
college dropouts annually while graduates stand at close to 500,000 only.

CHED records also showed that enrolment in tertiary education has not been
encouraging as it slowed down from 1999 to 2002, and then dropped gradually starting 2002 to
2003, with negative 0.8 percent growth in 2004-2005 for both public and private schools. Except
for the big jump in 1998-1999, enrolment has been sliding down thereafter. Moreover, tertiary
education enrolment even in state universities and colleges shows a decelerating trend,
weakening to negative 1.2 percent growth in 2004-2005, despite the lower cost of public
education. In the case of private schools, the decline started as early as 2002.

Based on the Commission's 2008 data, out of 100 Grade 1 pupils, only 66 finish Grade 6
and only 58 of them enrol in first year high school. Of the 58, only 43 finish high school.
However, only 23 of the 43 who finished high school enrol in college and only 14 of the 23
eventually graduate from college.

Also disturbing is the National Statistics and Coordination Board (NSCB) data on the
ratio of graduates to enrolment for tertiary education, which stands at 16 to less than 18 percent
from 1994 to 2005. In the past 10 years, the NSCB reported that the total number of college
graduates increased by an average of only 2.9 percent. The number of graduates also increased
to only 481,862 in Academic Year 2009-2010 from 363,640 in AY 2000-2001.


Considering that more than 265 percent or 38 million Filipino families are living below
the poverty line, as reported by the NSCB 2009 Poverty Statistics and released in February 2011,
access to tertiary education for bright and deserving children of these families would be almost
impossible, especially if they do not have the means to pay even for an entrance examination,
which is the initial step towards admission to a college degree program.

Thus, this bill aims to ensure that poor but deserving high school graduates are given
equal opportunities in applying for college admission to higher education institutions by
removing the first hindrance at the entry level, such as the prohibitive cost of entrance
examinations.

In view of the foregoing reasons, immediate approval of this measure is earnestly sought.
fa > a
HON, JOSEPH F. VIOLAGO

Representative
2nd District, Nueva Ecija


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
‘Quezon City

SIXTEENTH (16™) CONGRESS
First Regular Session

1757

House Bill No..

Introduced by Hon. Joseph Gilbert F. Violago

AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR FREE COLLEGE ENTRANCE EXAMINATIONS TO
UNDERPRIVILEGED PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS BELONGING TO THE TOP
TEN PERCENT (10°) OF THE GRADUATING CLASS

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 “Free College Entrance
Examinations Act of 2013.”

SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. ~ It is hereby declared the policy of the State to expand
and further democratize access to quality education at the college level by instituting
mechanisms that protect the rights of underprivileged but bright and deserving high school
graduates.

‘The exemption from the imposition of entrance examination fees is one such mechanism
that will ensure that underprivileged but bright and deserving high school graduates, are given
adequate assistance and equal opportunity to pursue their dreams from obtaining a college
education.

SEC. 3. Definition of Terms. - For purposes of this Act, the following terms shall mean:

(a) College Entrance Examinations - shall refer to examinations required by higher
education institutions on graduating high school students or high school graduates
as one of the criteria for determining admission to a four-year or five-year college
degree program in the said educational institutions;

(b) Underprivileged Public High School Graduates ~ shall refer to public high school
students who belong to the top 10 percent of the graduating class and whose
parents live below the poverty line or belong to the poorest of the poor as
determined by the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) and who
are the qualified beneficiaries of this Act;

(0) Higher Education Institution (HEI) - shall refer to an educational institution that is
legally authorized to offer a program of education leading to the conferment of a
degree.

SEC. 4. Coverage. - This Act shall apply to all public and private HEIs offering degree
programs, including local colleges and universities, and shall cover underprivileged public high
school students graduating or who have graduated at the top 10 percent of the class and
intending to apply for admission in any public or private HEI in the country for a degree
program.


SEC. 5. Qualification Requirements for Free College Entrance Examinations Beneficiary.
A student beneficiary eligible under this Act shall have the following entry requirements:

(2) Must be a natural-born Filipino citizen;

(©) Must be a graduating high-school student or high school graduate from a public
high school and intends to enrol in any public or private HEI;

(©) Must belong to the top 10% of the graduating class; and

(4) Must have parents or guardians living below the poverty line as determined by the
NEDA.

SEC. 6, Penalties. - Any HEI official or employee and other concerned individuals found
guilty of violating the provisions of this Act shall suffer the penalty of prision correccional or
imprisonment from six (6) months and one (1) day to six (6) years and a fine of Seven Hundred
Fifty Thousand Pesos (P750,000).

In addition, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) may impose disciplinary
sanctions against any HEI official or employee violating the provisions of this Act pursuant to
Section 13 of Republic Act No. 7722, otherwise known as the Higher Education Modernization
Act of 1994,

SEC. 7. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - The CHED, in coordination with the
Department of Education (DepEd), Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges
(PASUC), the Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations (COCOPEA), and the
Association of Local Colleges and Universities (ALCU), shall issue the necessary rules and
regulations for the effective implementation of this Act.

SEC. 8. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act is declared unconstitutional or
invalid, the other sections or provisions not otherwise affected shall continue to be in full force
and effect.

SEC. 9. Repealing Clause. - All laws, executive orders, decrees, instructions, rules and
regulations contrary to or inconsistent with any provision of this Act are hereby repealed,
modified or amended accordingly.

SEC. 10. Effectivity Clause. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication
in any newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,