Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Constitution Hills, Quezon City

SEVENTEENTH (17™) CONGRESS

First Regular Session

368

House Bill No.

Introduced by Representative ERIC L. OLIVAREZ

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Education plays a vital role in nation-building primarily
because it empowers the people to become active
participants in the transformation and betterment of society.
Education undeniably equips a person with knowledge,
intelligence and skills that serve him multiple purposes in
life. In the individual level, education improves a person’s
well-being and enables him to make informed decision and
to achieve self-actualizations. In a more practical sense,
education allows him to be more competitive in the work
field especially now that the trend is leaning towards an ever
increasing globalization, More importantly, education has a
very crucial part in ensuring that there is equality in
opportunities for members of all racial, national or ethnic
groups of a nation.

The 1987 Constitution expressly recognizes the
importance of education in the nation’s progress and
development. As provided in Article If, Section 7 thereof, it is
the policy of the state to give priority to education, science
and technology, arts, culture, and sports to foster patriotism
and nationalism, accelerate social progress, and promote
total human liberation and development,


Likewise, Article XIV Section 1 of the Philippines
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.

Furthermore, the state is likewise cognizant of the
academic freedom accorded to all institutions of higher
learning.

In line with this policy, certain governmental bodies
have been mandated to implement strategies that will ensure
that quality education is being afforded to our citizens.

One schemes being presently implemented is
continuous quality improvement via of programs in private
Schools on the elementary, high school, college and graduate
levels

Accreditation is a means of promoting educational
excellence through voluntary self-regulation and peer
evaluation. Private accreditation refers to the accreditation
being done by the private accrediting bodies, The nature of
the said accreditation is voluntary.

Private or voluntary accreditation of learning
institutions in the country is classified into two - that whieh
pertains to basic education is governed by the Department of
Education (DepEd) and that which refers to tertiary or higher
education is regulated by the Commission on Higher
Education (CHED).

Accreditation, as more particularly defined in the
DepEd Order No. 08 Series of 2010, otherwise known as the
2010 Manual of Regulations for Private Schools for Basic
Education, refers to the process leading to the issuance of a
certificate of accredited status by an organized body of
educational institutions attesting to the quality or standards
of a private school or to any of its educational programs on
courses, and to the effectiveness of the management and
operations of the private school offering the program as


exceeding the minimum standards or criteria for government
recognition.

Basic Education as din this context covers five
main programs, mainly; pre-school, elementary, secondary,
special needs education and alternative learning systems.
DepEd encourages voluntary membership by private schools
in accrediting associations by granting greater flexibility in
the exercise of government supervision and regulation to
accredited schools as compared to those which are non-
accredited.

On the other hand, accreditation is regulated by CHED
when it comes to higher education institutions which
basically cover college and graduate studies. CHED
encourages accreditation by giving incentives and greater
autonomy to private colleges and universities, which number
more than 2,000, that meet the criteria set forth by private
accrediting bodies.

Voluntary accreditation positively drives private
schools, colleges and universities to exceed the minimum
standards and guidelines required by the government in light
of the intrinsic motivation to achieve recognition and
prestige, and the promise of generous incentives,
deregulation and autonomy. As such because of
accreditation, there is an entailed assurance that the
education being afforded to our citizens is in fact the best of
what these schools can provide

In more than forty years now, the voluntary
accreditation movement even without government financial
sistance, succeeded in raising the quality of education at
all levels of about 15% of the more than 2,000 private
schools. This achievement showcases the success of public
private partnership.

This bill purports to motivate and enjoin many more
private schools to undergo continuous quality improvement
through voluntary accreditation and thereby ensure that the
value and quality of education being received by the Filipino
People is of high quality and comparable to the best in the

3


world. The bill's immediate implementation into law will
ensure quality assurance in Philippine education and
optimal capacity to participate actively in the forthcoming
ASEAN community and mutual recognition agreements
(MRA) with American and European continents.

It is for the foregoing reasons that the approval of this
bill is strongly recommended.

Qui ¢ Ow
ERIC L. OLIVAREZ


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Constitution Hills, Quezon City

SEVENTEENTH (17™) CONGRESS
First Regular Session

3681

House Bill No.

Introduced by Representative ERIC L. OLIVAREZ

AN ACT STRENGTHENING THE VOLUNTARY
ACCREDITATION OF PRIVATE SCHOOLS IN THE
PHILIPPINES BY INSTITUTIONALIZING THE EXISTING
POLICIES AND PRACTICES AND PROVIDING
GOVERNMENT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE THEREOF

Section 1. Short Title - This Act shall be known as the
“VOLUNTARY ACCREDITATION ACT OF 2013”.

Section 2. Definition of Terms — For purposes of this
Act, the following terms shall mean or be understood as
follows:

a) School - means an educational institution,
private or public, undertaking educational operations
with an organized group of pupils or students pursuing
defined studies at defined levels, receiving instructions
from teachers, usually located in a building or group of
buildings in a particular physical or cyber site
recognized by the state and specifically intended for
educational purposes.


b) Private School - means a privately owned and
managed institution for teaching and learning,
established and authorized to operate certain
educational programs in accordance with law and the
prescribed policies and rules of the Department. of
Education (DepEd) and/or Commission of Higher
Education (CHED).

¢) Accreditation ~ means the process leading to
Ssuance of a certificate of accredited status by an
organized body known as accrediting agency or
association attesting to the quality or standards of a
‘te school or to any of its educational programs or
courses, and to the effectiveness of the effec iveness of
the management and operations of the private school
offering the program as exceeding the minimum
standards or criteria for government recognition in the
context of the philosophy and objectives of the school.
Accreditation shall be voluntary in nature.

d) Deregulation — is a necessary consequence of
voluntary accredited status whereby the private school
is accorded certain benefits and advantages as may be
provided for by the appropriate authorities and in
applicable legislation. Deregulation, however, is not
absolute, rather, it represents degrees in the
liberalization of rules and regulations applicable to a
learning institution or a school and determined through
the level of accreditation.

Section 3. Membership - Voluntary membership of
private schools in accrediting associations or agencies shall
be encouraged as a scheme to promote and improve the
quality of education in the country,

Section 4. Authorized Accrediting Agencies - The
following agencies enumerated below shall be the officially
recognized accrediting bodies to conduct accreditation
activities, to wit:


a) The Philippine Association of Accrediting
Agencies of Schools, Colleges and Universities
(PAASCU);

b) The Philippine Association of Colleges and
Universities-Commission on Accreditation (PACU-
COA);

¢) The Association of Christian Schools and
Colleges Accrediting Association Inc (ACSC-AAl);

d) The Accrediting Association of Chartered
Colleges and Universities of the Philippines (AACCUP);

Section 5. Federation or Association of Accrediting
Agencies ~ The Federation of Accrediting Agency of the
Philippines (FAAP) consisting of PAASCU, PACUCOA, ACSC.
AAl, and AACCUP as its members shall be recognized as the
sole organization to certify, pursuant to its general or
common standards, the accredited status of schools and
their programs granted by the above mentioned different
accrediting agencies. This recognition, however, is without
Prejudice to the subsequent authorization of other
accrediting agencies in the future as deemed necessary or
desirable by the DepEd and/or CHED. The additional
accrediting agencies as may be determined by DepEd or
CHED or any other existing accrediting agencies shall be
required to join as members of FAAP to ensure order and
coherence in the manner of evaluation and accreditation of
schools, colleges and universities,

For purposes of this Act, there shall only be one
Federation or Association of accrediting agencies or bodies to
be officially recognized by the DepEd or CHED.

Section 6. Accreditation Process~ Without prejudice to
the internal rules promulgated by the accrediting agency or
by the FAAP, the accreditation process shall be comprised of
the following basic steps:

(a) Institutional self-evaluation;

(b) Self- evaluation for the program to be
applied for accreditation


(c) Preliminary visit - This shall be done
within four to six months after the start of self.
survey and must be conducted by bona fide
member/ officer of the accrediting agency;

(d) Formal survey visit - This shall be done
by the bona fide member/officer of the accrediting
agency within a span of six months after
preliminary visit; and

(c) 2 by governing board of
accrediting agency ~ Within four months after the
last formal survey visit, the accrediting agency
may deliberate and decide on whether or not the
subject school should be granted an accredited
Status for particular program and level as applied
for.

() Any accrediting agency may notify the
school of any minor lapses, shortcomings and/or
failure to meet a certain standard or requirement
for a particular accreditation level and may give
the said school reasonable time and opportunity
to comply or meet the deficiency. Provided
however, that the deficiency is of minor character
only and can be completed without great loss of
time. Immediately thereafter, the governing board
of the accrediting agency shall deliberate and
decide whether the school has complied or
corrected its minor lapses within the reasonable
time given to such institution.

(g) The accrediting agency must submit its
decision to FAAP for certification, within six
months from the last formal survey visit, stating
therein the comprehensive and detailed report of
the evaluation of the program of a certain school
and stating clearly the standards used vi -vis
the comparative score of the program. Provided,
however, that in cases falling under paragraph
(e), the six month period to decide is suspended



until compliance or until the lapse of the
reasonable time or opportunity granted by the
accrediting agency to the school.

Section 7. Automatic Credit of Course Units — In the
event that students transfer from a private school to a public
school, course credits completed at the former is guaranteed
to be recognized in the latter if they were completed at a
state-recognized accredited private school.

Section 8. Levels of Accreditation Status - There shall
be four levels of accreditation of programs in schools,
colleges and universities to be conducted by the accrediting
agencies to be certified as such by FAAP:

a) Candidate Status: for programs which have
undergone a preliminary survey visit and are
certified by the FAAP as being capable of
acquiring an accredited status within two years;

b) Level I accredited status:: for programs which
have been granted accredited status by any of
the member agencies of the FAAP and whose
status is certified by the latter by the latter, the
level is granted for a period of three years;

¢) Level II accredited status: for programs
which successfully underwent
reaccreditation visit after three years of
Level I status;

d)Level I! accredited status: for
programs which have at least been
reaccredited and have met the additional
requirements based on criteria/ guidelines
set by FAAP and the accrediting agency;

e) Level IV accredited status - programs
which have distinguished themselves in a
broad area of academic disciplines and


Level
accre
be as

enjoy prestige and authority comparable
to that of international universities.

Jf) Institutional accredited status: refers
to the recognition of the entire institution
and is anchored on the strength, depth
and breadth of program accreditation

Section 9, Benefits and Incentives per Ac

reditation

- The benefits and incentives for the different
ditation levels of schools, colleges and universities shall
follows:

a. Candidate status ~ partial administrative
deregulation

b, Level I accredited and II reaccredited
Status ~ 1) a full administrative deregulation; 2)
financial deregulation in terms of setting tuition
and other fees; 3) financial deregulation in terms
of setting tuition and other fees; 3) partial
curricular autonomy authority to graduate
Students without prior approval of DepED or
CHED, as the case may be, and without need for
Special Orders; 4) priority funding assistance; 5)
priority for government subsidy for faculty
development; 6) right to use on its publications or
advertisements the word “ACCREDITED”, and, 7)
limited visitation/inspection and/or supervision
by CHED.

c. Level II accredited status - 1) all the
benefits for Level | and Il; and, 2) full curricular
deregulation; and 3) authority to open new
curricular programs allied to its existing level II]
reaccredited programs without need for prior
approval of DepED/CHED,


d. Level IV accredited status - 1) all the
benefits for Levels I, I, and Ill; 2) award of
grants/subsidies from the CHED’s Higher
Education Development Fund (HEDF) for the
program for the duration of its level IV accredited
status.

©. Institutional accredited status- 1) all
the benefits for level I, Il, UI, and IV; 2) grant of
full autonomy for the institution for the duration
of its institution accredited statu 5; 3) authority to
offer new programs allied to existing accredited
status without the need for prior approval by the
Department of Education and Commission on
Higher Education

Section 10. Validity of Benefits and Incentives ~ The
benefits and other incentives as mentioned in Section 9
hereof shalll be available to the private school only for as long
as its accreditation status and specific accreditation level
subsists,

Section 11. Retraction of Benefits and Incentives — Any
benefit and incentive granted to a private school by virtue of
its accredited status and level may be withdrawn and
retracted, if after due notice, investigation, and hearing, the
accrediting agency, DepEd or CHED, as the case may be,
finds that the superior standards of accreditation based on
which the benefits and incentives have been granted are not
observed and/or maintained,

Section 12. Retraction of Authority of the Accrediting
Agencies - The authority granted to any certified accrediting
agency may be forfeited, if after due notice, investigation and
hearing, the DepEd or CHED, as the case may be, in
consultation with FAAP finds any irregularity, partiality and
or bias in the evaluation and granting of accreditation status
to any school.



Section 13. Subsidy and funding assistance- The
DepEd or CHED, as the case maybe, shall allocate an
amount for the subsidy or funding stance of
accreditation activities by the FAAP and its members for its
efficient administration and implementation and for the
grants of incentives and other benefits given to accredited
schools, colleges and universities. The said amount shall be
charged to the appropriations of the DepEd and CHED.
Thereafter, such amount shall be included in the annual
General Appropriations Act,

Section 14. Implementing Rules and Regulations, FAAP
and/or all the member accrediting agencies or bodies shall
promulgate the implementing rules and regulations for the
effective and immediate implementation of this Act in
coordination with the Department of Education (DepED) ana
the Commission on Higher Education (CHED)

Section 15. Repealing Clause - All laws, decrees,
executive orders, letters of instructions, rules and
regulations or parts thereof, which are inconsistent with this
Act are hereby repealed, amended or modified accordingly.

Section 16. Separability Clause — If any provision of
this Act is judicially declared invalid or unconstitutional, the
remaining provisions of this Act not affected thereby shall be
continue to be in full force and effect,

Section 17. Effectivity Clause - This act shall take

effect fifteen (15) days following its publication in two (2)
newspapers of general circulation,

Approved,