Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

1.5, No,__ 400

Introduced by HONORABLE JUAN EDGARDO “SONNY” M. ANGARA

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The Constitution, Article XIV, Section 1 mandates 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 available to all. Towards this end, the State shall pursue means of
identifying and developing other ways to make education accessible to all.

There are six institutions accredited by the Commission on Higher Education to maintain
distance education programs. The trend for this type of education has been growing alll over the
world, online and otherwise. With the advent of the information age through the World Wide
Web, this form of education can be a valuable tool in reaching out to the areas in our country
which do not have access to the campuses.

In order to effectively promote this method of learning, we need to be able to secure
additional information on this subject.

This bill seeks to commission the Department of Education and the Department of
Science and Technology to undertake a study that would generate sufficient date to guide the
executive branch of the government in making programs and enable us to provide better

legislation on this matter.

JUAN EDGARD@/SONNY” M. ANGARA.
Representative
Lone District, Province of Aurora


FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE )
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES )
First Regular Session )

i 400

H.B.No.

Introduced by Honorable JUAN EDGARDO “SONNY” M. ANGARA

AN ACT
TO REQUIRE AN INDEPENDENT EVALUATION OF DISTANCE
EDUCATION PROGRAM.

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 “Independent Study of

Distance Education Act of 2010.”

SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. ~ The Constitution, Article XIV, Section 1 mandates
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 available to all. Towards this end, the
State shall pursue means of identifying and developing other ways to make education accessible

to all.

SECTION 3. Independent Evaluation. ~The Secretary of Education shall enter into an
agreement with the Department of Science and Technology to conduct a scientifically correct,
statistically valid evaluation of the quality of distance education programs, as compared to
campus-based education programs, at institutions of higher education. Such evaluation shall

include ~

(A) identification of the elements by which the quality of distance education, as
compared to campus-based education, can be assessed, including elements such as

subject matter, interactivity, and student outputs;


(B) identification of distance and campus-based education program success, with respect
to student achievement, in relation to the mission of the institution of higher education;

and,

(C), by. assessing elements including access to higher education, job placement rates,
undergraduate rates, and graduate and professional degree attainment ea. identification
of the types of students (including classification of types of students based on student
age)--

(1) who most benefit from distance education programs;

(2) who most benefit from campus-based education programs; and

(3) who do not benefit from distance education programs.

SECTION 4. Scope. - The Department of Science ‘and Technology shall select for
participation in the evaiuation under subsection (a) a diverse group of institutions of higher

education with respect to size, mission, and geographic distribution.

SECTION 5. Interim and Final Report. — The agreement under Section 3 shall require
that the Department of Science and Technology submit to the Secretary of Education, the Senate,
and the House of Representatives-

(1) an interim report regarding the evaluation under Section 3 not later than six months
after the date of enactment of this Act; and

(2) a final report regarding such evaluation not later than one year after the date of

enactment of this Act. 1

SECTION 6. Appropriations. — To carry out the provisions of this Act, such amount as

hereby necessary shall be authorized to be appropriated from the National Treasury.»
i!

SECTION 7. Separability Clause. — If any provision ot part hereof, is held invalid or
unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall remain

valid and subsisting,


SECTION 8. Repealing Clause. — Any law, presidential decree or issuance, eXecutive
order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to or is inconsistent

with the provision of this Act is hereby repealed, modified, or amended accordingly.

SECTION 9. Effectivity Clause. — This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its

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

Approved,