Congress of the
Republic of the Philippines

House of Representatives
Queson City

FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 3837

Introduced by HONORABLE REENA CONCEPCION G. OI |LLO

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This bill seeks to give free college education to all qualfie:| and deserving
Filipino students throughout the country.

The initiative was previously introduced by Represeniative Rufus B.
Rodriguez on October 1, 2007 as the Philippine Free College Educ:tion System Act
of 2007. He would later propose the Regional Subsidized Cy lege Education
Program on July 1, 2009 but time ran out for a substitute bill at ‘he close of the
Fourteenth Congress. This merely delayed the passage of this ver crucial pisce of
legislation and we believe that the moment of free college + jucation in the
Philippines has come.

The Constitution provides that ‘the State shall give prioriy to education,
science and technology, arts, culture, and sports to foster patriotism and nationalism,
accelerate social progress, and promote total human liberation 21d development”
and that it “shall protect and promote the right of all citizens to quali’, education at all
levels and shall take appropriate steps to make such education <cessible to all.”
The right to education is also recognized as a fundamental human | ht under Article
26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. According to th: United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO),

UNESCO Institute for Statistics, the international organize jon that collects
data for the United Nations, estimated in 2004 that nearly 1 in 6 people in the world
or 800 million people need access to quality education. It is believed that one of the
major causes of illiteracy is poverty. Students who would have gor’ on to continue
their education sometimes quit school in order to work on the farm or in a factory in
order to help with the family income. Also, to a poor family the bac necessities of
life come before books and other educational materials.

According to the 2003 Functional Literacy, Education and Mz ‘:s Media Survey
(FLEMMS), a national survey that gathers information on basi; and functional
literacy status of the population conducted by the National Statistic; Office (NSO) in
coordination with the Literacy Coordinating (LCC) and Department of Education



(DepEd), 11.6 million of 34 million population aged 6-24 were not = ttending school.
Of this number, 30 percent were not attending school mainly becau;> they were
working or looking for work and 20 percent could not afford high cost of education.
This indicates that half of those who are not attending school were {20 poor to do so.

In light of this we are introducing this bill guaranteeing free college education
which aims to help specifically students who are financially incapable but are
otherwise determined to complete their college education.

As the new administration struggles to provide basic services n the face rising
costs and widespread poverty, fewer and fewer students are able > afford to go to
college, much less finish with a degree. It does not help that gove\iiment has failed
to slow down the rise in tuition and other school fees.

It is said that providing quality education is the most imps tant function of
government. To perform this function government needs to institu'2 a free college
education system that grants free tuition, allowances and sup)orts medical or
hospitalization expenses for any four-year course.

By instituting a free college education system in our country \ve will help more
Filipinos realize their dream of receiving a diploma and the hope of securing a better
future.

In view thereof, the approval of this bill is highly recommende >.

30
REENA CONCEPCION G “BILLO
Representative
1 Ang Pamilya Party-list


FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
First Regular Session

House of Representatives

HOUSE BILL NO. _3337

Introduced by HONORABLE REENA CONCEPCION G. |)BILLO

AN ACT PROVIDING FOR FREE COLLEGE EDUCATION TH (OUGH THE
REGIONAL SUBSIDIZED COLLEGE EDUCATION PROGRAM, |'EFINING IT'S
IMPLEMENTING GUIDELINES, RULES AND REGULATIC WS AND
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREOF

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives .f the Philippines

in Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Short Title. This Act shall be known as the ‘Philippine Free
College Education Act of 2010”.

SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. It is hereby declare: the policy of the
State to promote a just and dynamic social order that will free he people from
poverty through policies that provide adequate social service, a rsing standard of
living and an improved quality of life for all.

Further, it is the policy of the State to give priority to ev cation, science
and technology, arts, culture and sports to foster patriotism, nation slism, accelerate
social progress, and promote total human liberation and developme!:

SECTION 3. Institution of a Free College Education ‘\/stem. There is
hereby instituted a free college education system in the country thre gh the Regional
Subsidized College Education Prograrn under the Commission on |-igher Education
(CHED) which shall be open to all qualified and deserving Filipino students. It shall
comprise the following:

(a) Free tuition and all school expenses in any four-yee! college course
leading to degrees in Liberal Arts such as Com-iunication Arts,
Journalism, Humanities Philosophy, Political Scie ice, and Legal
Management; Literature and in Science courses sui!1 as Education,


Economics, Psychology, Sociology, Nursing, Business Management
and Administration and Accounting, among others

(b) Sustained provision for books, subsistence, clothing 2d transportation
allowances; and,

(c) Contingent provision for medical or hospitalization exp =nses.

SECTION 4. Role of the Commission on Higher Educ:)'ion. The CHED
shall be in charge of determining the qualified beneficiaries under tt is Act through its
Office of Student Services (OSS). The CHED Chairman shall inclu <\e in the regular
functions of the OSS the following powers and functions:

(a) To formulate, administer, manage and implemei’ the Regional
Subsidized College Education Program envisioned in tris Act with the
end view of providing free college education to poor stuc ents;

(b) To determine and designate private colleges or universities in every
region which may qualify to participate in the prograi? as well as the
number of student beneficiaries who may be enrolled in <uch institutions;

(c) To prepare and submit the budgetary requirements ur der the program
based on the preceding fiscal year with the upwarc adjustment not
exceeding ten (10%) percent. Provided, however, that upon the
implementation of the program, the budget shall be bas: on the amount
allocated therein;

(d) To tap, deputize and enlist the services of the regular personnel of the
CHED, in every region as may be necessary to impler i2nt the program
and enforce such rules and regulations as he/she may ¢=termine;

(e) To submit monthly operational reports to the Chairman >f the CHED and
the Oversight and Education Committees of Ccngress on the
performance of the beneficiaries, their expenses and, matters as may aid
in ascertaining the effectivity and viability of the prograrr

(f) To appoint additional personnel as may be necessary tc effectively carry
out the objectives of the program in all the regions; Pr2vided, however,
that they are civil service eligibles and with adequate educational
background or training; and,

(g) To promulgate such rules and regulations to implement he provisions of
this Act.

SECTION 5. Courses. The Regional Subsidized Cc \lege Education
Program shall it lly cover four-year degree courses in the Libe al Arts, such as
Communications Arts, Journalism, Humanities, Philosophy, Politic:! Science, and,



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Legal Management; Literature and in Science courses suc! as Education,
Economics, Psychology, Sociology, Nursing, Business Mivagement and
Administration and Accounting, among others hereafter. The CHI.) shall propose
additional courses as it may deem appropriate at the proper time.

SECTION 6. Qualification Requirements of Student ‘'eneficiaries. A
student applicant may qualify as beneficiary of the program provided that he/she
meets the following requirements;

(a) He/She must be a Filipino citizen;

(b) He/She must have passed the admission test given by ‘le HEI;
(c) He/She or the parents do not own any property;

(d) He/She and the parents do not have a combined total goss income of
One Hundred Thousand Pesos (100,000.00) per annur and,

(e) He /She shall not leave the country within five years aller graduation or
passing the government examination, whichever is later

SECTION 7. Limitations. The right of any college s{udents to avail
himself/herself of the privileges under this Act shall not apply if;

(a) He/She fails for one(1) semester in the majority of the a:ademic subjects
in which he/she has enrolled in during the course of his’ er study, unless
such failure is due to some valid causes beyond his/her <ontrol;

(b) He/She fails to finish his/her course within two (2) yezis after the year
within which he/she should have graduated;

(c) He/She stops schooling for one(1) school year, unles; such is due to
‘some valid causes beyond his/her control; and,

(d) He/She is convicted of any crime.

SECTION 8. Role of the CHED Regional Offices (/HEDROs). The
CHED Regional Offices shall, upon admission of the beneficiary s\\dents, compute
and determine the school fees, cost of textbooks, allowances, trinsportation and
other expenses which must be submitted to the central office upon approval,
distribute or disburse them when due: Provided, that allowances é°d transportation
shall be disbursed at monthly intervals.

SECTION 9. Participating Public Higher Education In: \itutions (HEIs).
Initially, the public HEIs that will offer the facilities and services fc: the system are
as follows:


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on

(a) The University of the Philippines System;
(b) Philippine Normal University;

(c) Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila;

(d) Polytechnic University of the Philippines; and,

(e) Other government and owned and controlled universi(i2s and colleges
situated in various provinces in the Philippines.

SECTION 10. Role of Private HEIs. The program shé! involve private
HEls in every region as duly accredited under the program. “ny private HEI
submitting the lowest bid on the cost to be incurred for a four 4) year course
covered by the program shalll be accredited. Upon accreditation, the private HE! shall
allocate twenty percent (20%) of its total enrolment for each year for admission of the
qualified student beneficiaries. The HEI shall compute and deter'“ine the amount
needed to cover the school fees, textbooks, allowances, transpo ‘ation and other
school expenses and shall submit the same to the concerned CHEC IO.

SECTION 11. Regional Subsidized College Educatiin Fund. Within
sixty (60) days from the effectivity of this Act. The CHED shall e’ablish Regional
Subsidized College Education Fund to be taken from fund: not otherwise
appropriated but included in the proposed 2010 General Appropria’ons Act to cover
the tuition, miscellaneous and other school fees and other educati al expenses of
qualified students under the Regional Subsidized College Educatior: >rogram.

SECTION 12. Implementing Rules and Regulations. “he CHED shall,
within sixty (60) days from the effectivity of this Act, issue such rule) and regulations
necessary for the proper implementation of this Act

SECTION 13. Appropriations. The amount of Three Billion
Pesos(P3,000,000,000.00) is hereby appropriated to carry out the purposes of this
Act to be taken from funds not otherwise appropriated but includec in the proposed
2011 General Appropriations Act. Thereafter, such sum as may be iiecessary for its
continued implementation shall be included in the annual Gener Appropriations
Act.

SECTION 14. Separability Clause. If any provision o| this Act is held
invalid or unconstitutional, other provisions not affected shall cont jiue to be in full
force and in effect.

SECTION 15. Repealing Clause. All laws, presiiential decrees,
executive orders, proclamations, rules and regulations which are consistent with
the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or modified according .


SECTION 16. Effectivity. This Act shall take effect fifteci (15) days after
its publications in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Approved.