Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SIXTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

1546

HOUSE BILL NO.

Introduced by Rep. Gabriel Luis R. Quisumbing

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This bill seeks to convert the Cordova Public College in the Municipality of Cordova,
Province of Cebu, into a state college to ensure its fiscal autonomy, enhance its academic
standards and provide accessible and affordable but quality education to poor but deserving
students not only from the municipality but adjoining areas like Lapu-lapu and the entire Island of
Mactan,

The Municipality of Cordova is a third class municipality of around sixty thousand
residents. It is estimated that only ten percent of the town’s yearly high school graduates pursue a
college education while a small percentage find low-income employment with no security of
tenure at the nearby export processing zones as factory workers.

Pursuing a college degree is almost impossible for many poverty-stricken residents of
Cordova given the high cost of transportation, personal sustenance and other necessary expenses
that go with the equally high cost of education especially in private universities and colleges
Cebu City or Mandaue City. This also holds true for neighboring communities where incidence of
poverty is also high.

In an effort to address this problem, the local government of the Municipality of Cordova
established the Cordova Public College with the objective of providing accessible and affordable
tertiary, vocational and technical education to the youth of the municipality. It was also hoped that
the establishment of the College will stimulate the economic activity in the area and provide
residents with the opportunity to acquire skills and education necessary for them to obtain decent
and stable jobs for the improvement of their economic and social standing and for their total
development as individuals as well

It is the State's mandate to establish, maintain and support a complete, adequate and
integrated system of education relevant to the needs of society. With the conversion of the
Cordova Public College into a State College, the author seeks to secure adequate support and
appropriate funds from the national budget to ensure that the institution has the necessary
facility, personnel and instructional materials which are at par with other tertiary learning
institutions.

jer Education,
dry \discussion on
ly approval of this

This proposed measure has been approved in the House Committee on
and the Senate Committee on Education, Arts and Culture conducted prelimi
this bill in the 15 Congress. Hence, this Representation earnestly seeks the
bill.

a
GABRIEL/LUIS R. QUISUMBING


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SIXTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session
1

46

HOUSE BILL NO.

Introduced by Rep. Gabriel Luis R. Quisumbing

AN ACT
CONVERTING THE CORDOVA PUBLIC COLLEGE IN THE MUNICIPALITY OF CORDOVA,
PROVINCE OF CEBU INTO A STATE COLLEGE TO BE KNOWN AS THE CORDOVA
STATE COLLEGE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS
THEREFOR

Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives in Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Conversion. - The Cordova Public College in the Municipality of
Cordova, Province of Cebu is hereby converted into a state college to be known as the
Cordova State College of Science and Technology, hereinafter referred to as the College.

SECTION 2. General Mandate. ~The College shall primarily provide quality but
affordable advanced instruction and professional training in engineering, industrial
technologies, business, arts and sciences and other relevant fields of study. It shall also
undertake research and extension services, and provide progressive leadership in its
areas of specialization,

SECTION 3. Academic Freedom and Institutional Autonomy. ~ The College shall
enjoy academic freedom and institutional autonomy, pursuant to paragraph 2, Section 5
of Article XIV of the Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines

SECTION 4. Curricular Offerings. - The College shall offer undergraduate and
graduate studies in the fields of engineering, industrial technologies, business, arts and
sciences and other degrees/courses within its areas of specialization and according to its
capabilities, as the Board of Trustees may deem necessary to carry out its objectives, in
order to meet the needs of the Province of Cebu and Region VII.

The College may operate a reasonably-sized laboratory school, if it has a College of
Education.

SECTION 5. Administration. - The College shall have the general powers of a
corporation set forth in Batas Pambansa Blg. 68, as amended, otherwise known as the
“Corporation Code of the Philippines.” The administration of the College and the exercise


of its corporate powers shall be vested exclusively in the Board of Trustees and the
President of the College.

SECTION 6. The Governing Board. - The governing board of the College shall be the
Board of Trustees, hereinafter referred to as the Board, which shall be composed of the
following:

(a) The Chairperson of the Commission on Higher Education, Chairperson;

(b) ‘The President of the College, Vice Chairperson

(c)__ The Chairperson of the Committee on Educ
Senate, member;

(d) The Chairperson of the Committee on Higher and Technical Education of
the House of Representatives, member;

(e) The Regional Director of the National Economic and Development Authority
(NEDA), member;

(f) ‘The Regional Director of the Department of Science and Technology
(DOST), member;

(g) The President of the faculty association of the College, member;

(h) The President of the student council of the College, member;

(i) ‘The President of the alumni association of the College, member; and

(j) Two (2) prominent citizens from the private sector who have distinguished
themselves in their profession or fields of specialization of the College, members.

ion, Arts and Culture of the

The Board shall appoint two (2) prominent citizens from among a list of at least
five (5) qualified persons in the Province of Cebu, as recommended by the search
committee constituted by the College President, in consultation with the Chairperson of
the CHED and the other members of the Board, based on the normal standards and
qualifications for the position.

The term of office of the President of the faculty association, the president of the
student council, and the president of the alumni association shall be co-terminus with
their terms of office, as set forth in their respective constitution and bylaws.

The two (2) prominent citizens shall serve for a term of two (2) years from the
date of appointment.

SECTION 7. Powers and Duties of the Board of Trustees. ~ The Board shall have the
following specific powers and duties, in addition to its general powers of administration
and the exercise of all the powers granted to the board of directors of a corporation under
existing laws:

(a) To promulgate and implement policies in accordance with the declared state
policies on education and other pertinent provisions of the Philippine Constitution on
education, agriculture, science and technology, as well as the policies, standards and
thrusts of the CHED under Republic Act No. 7722, otherwise known as the “Higher
Education Act of 1994.”

(b) To promulgate rules and regulations not contrary to law as may be necessary
to carry out the purposes and functions of the College;


(c) To receive and appropriate all sums as may be provided, for the support of the
College in the manner it may determine, in its discretion, in order to carry out the
purposes and functions of the College;

(d) To import duty-free economic, technical and cultural books and/or
publications;

(e) To receive in trust, legacies, gifts and donations of real properties of all kinds
and to administer and dispose of the same when necessary for the benefit of the College,
and subject to the limitations, directions and instructions of the donor, if any.

(f) To fix reasonable tuition fees and other necessary school charges, such as but
not limited to, matriculation fees, graduation fees and laboratory fees, as the Board may
deem proper to impose, after due consultations with the involved sectors;

Such fees and charges, including government subsidies and other income
generated by the College, shall constitute special trust funds and shall be deposited in any
authorized government depository bank, and all interest that shall accrue therefrom shall
from part of the same funds for the use of the College.

Any provisions of existing laws, rules and regulations to the contrary
notwithstanding, any income generated by the College from tuition fees and other
charges, as well as from the operation of auxiliary services and land grants shall be
retained by the College, and may be disbursed by the Board for instruction, research,
extension, or other programs/projects of the College: Provided, That all fiduciary fees
shall be disbursed for the specific purpose for which these are collected.

If, for any reason beyond its control, the College shall not be able to pursue any
project for which funds have been appropriated and allocated under its approved
program of expenditures, the Board may authorize the use of said funds for any
reasonable purpose which, in its discretion, may be necessary and urgent for the
attainment of the objectives and goals of the College;

(g) To adopt and implement a socialized scheme of tuition and other school fees
for greater access to poor but deserving students;

(h) To authorize the construction or repair of its buildings, machinery, equipment
and other facilities and the purchase and acquisition of real and personal properties,
including necessary supplies and materials and equipment;

(i) To appoint, upon recommendation of the President of the College, vice
presidents, deans, directors, heads of departments, faculty members and other officials
and employees of the College;

(j) To fix and adjust salaries of faculty members and administrative officials and
employees subject to the provisions of the Revised Compensation and Position
Classification System and other pertinent budget and compensation laws governing hours
of service and such other duties and conditions as it may deem proper, to grant them, at


its discretion, leaves of absence under such regulations as it may promulgate, any
provision of existing laws to the contrary notwithstanding; and to remove them for cause
in accordance with the requirements of due process of law;

(Kk) To approve the curricula, instructional programs and rules of discipline drawn
by the Administrative and Academic Councils as herein provided;

(I) To set policies on admission and graduation of students;

(m) To award honorary degrees upon persons in recognition of their outstanding
contribution in the fields of engineering, agriculture, public service, arts, science and
technology, education or in any field of specialization within the academic competence of
the College; and to authorize the awarding of certificates of completion of non-degree and
non-traditional courses;

(n) To establish and absorb non-chartered tertiary institutions within the Province
of Cebu as branches and extension centers in coordination with the CHED and in
consultation with the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), and to offer therein
programs or courses to promote and carry out equal and greater access to educational
opportunities as mandated by the Constitution;

(0) To establish research and extension centers of the College where such will
promote the development of the latter;

(p) To establish professorial chairs in the College and to provide fellowships for
qualified faculty members and scholarships to deserving students;

(q) To delegate any of its powers and duties provided for hereinabove to the
President or Officer-in-Charge and/or other officials of the College as it may deem
appropriate, so as to expedite the administration of the College;

(r) To authorize an external management audit of the College, to be financed by the
CHED, subject to the rules and regulations of the Commission on Audit (COA); and to
institute reforms, including academic and structural changes on the basis of audit results
and recommendations;

(s) To collaborate with other governing boards of state universities and colleges
within the Province of Cebu or Region VII, under the supervision of the CHED and in
consultation with the DBM, and work towards the restructuring of the College to become
more efficient, relevant, productive and competitive;

(1) To enter into joint ventures with business and industry for the profitable
development and management of the economic assets of the College, the proceeds from
which shall be used for the development and strengthening of the College;

(u) To develop consortia and other forms of linkages with local government units
(LGUs), institutions and agencies, both public and private, local and foreign, in
furtherance of the purposes and objectives of the College;


(v) To develop academic arrangements for institutional capability building with
appropriate institutions and agencies, public and private, local and foreign, and to appoint
experts/specialists as consultants, part-time or visiting or exchange professors, scholars
or researchers, as the case may be;

(w) To set up the adoption of modern and innovative modes of transmitting
knowledge such as the use of information technology, the dual learning system, open
learning or distance education and community laboratory for the promotion of greater
access to higher education and graduate studies, as the case may be;

(x) To establish policy guidelines and procedures for participative decision-making
and transparency within the College;

(y) To privatize, where most advantageous to the College, the management of non-
academic services such as health, food, building, grounds or property maintenance and
such other similar activities; and

(y) To extend the term of the President of the College beyond the age of
retirement, but not beyond the age of seventy(70), whose performance has been
unanimously rated by the Board as outstanding based on the guidelines, qualifications
and/or standards set by the Board, after unanimous recommendation by the search
committee.

SECTION 8. Meetings of the Board. - The Board shall regularly convene once every
three (3) months. Whenever necessary, the Chairperson of the Board may, upon three (3)
days’ prior written notice, a maximum of two (2) special meetings with the same period.

A quorum of the Board shall consist of majority of all its members holding office at
the time of the meeting: Provided, however, That the Chairperson of the CHED or the
President of the College is among those present in the meeting.

In the absence of the Chairperson of the CHED, a Commissioner of the CHED, duly
designated by him/her, shall represent him/her in the meeting with all the rights and
responsibilities of a regular member: Provided, however, That during this meeting, the
President of the College as Vice Chairperson shall be the Presiding Officer: Provided,
further, That this proviso notwithstanding, the Chairperson of the CHED is hereby
authorized to designate a CHED Commissioner as the regular Chair of the Board, in which
case said CHED Commissioner shall act as Presiding Officer,

In case the Chairpersons of the Congressional Committees on Education shall not
be able to attend the Board meeting, they may duly designate their respective
representatives to attend said meeting, who shall have the same rights and
responsibilities as a regular member of the Board.

The members of the Board shall not receive any salary but shall be entitled to
reimbursements for actual and necessary expenses incurred, either in their attendance to
meetings of the Board or in connection with other official business authorized by
resolution of the Board, subject to existing laws and regulations;


SECTION 9. The College President. - The College shall be headed by a President,
who shall render full-time service and who shall be appointed by the Board, subject to the
guidelines, qualifications and/or standards set by the Board, upon recommendation of a
duly constituted search committee. The College President shall have a term of four (4)
years and shall be eligible for reappointment for another term: Provided, That in order to
effect a smooth transition to a State College, the incumbent head of the Cordova Public
College, if qualified, shall act as the Officer-in-Charge, pending the appointment of the first
President of the College.

Within six (6) months before the expiration of the term of office of the incumbent
President of the College, the Board shall constitute the Search Committee for the
Presidency (SCP).

In case of vacancy in the Office of the President by reason of death, compulsory
retirement, resignation, removal for cause or incapacity of the President to perform the
functions of his/her office, the Board shall designate an Officer-in-Charge of the College
within six (6) months from date of vacancy, pending the appointment of a new President,

In case of vacancy in the Office of the President as mentioned in the immediately
preceding paragraph, his/her successor or the Officer-in-Charge shall serve only the
unexpired portion of the term.

The powers and duties of the President of the College, in addition to those
specifically provided in this Act, shall be those usually pertaining to the office of the
President of similar colleges, and those delegated by the Board.

‘The salary of the President of the College shall be in accordance with the Revised
Compensation and Position Classification System and shall be comparable to that being
received by the Presidents of similar educational institutions.

The President of the College shall be assisted by a Vice President for Academic
Affairs, who shall be appointed by the Board upon recommendation of the president.

SECTION 10. The Secretary of the College. - ‘The Board shall appoint a secretary,
who shall serve as such for both the Board of the College and shall keep all the records
and proceedings of the Board. The Secretary of the College shall serve upon each member
of the Board the appropriate notice of the Board meetings.

SECTION 11. The Treasurer of the College. - The Treasurer of the Philippines shall
be the ex officio treasurer of the College.

SECTION 12. The Administrative Council. - There shall be an Administrative Council
consisting of the President of the College as Chairperson, Vice Presidents, deans, directors
and other officials of equal rank as members, whose duty is to review and recommend to
the Board policies governing the administration, management and development planning
of the College.


SECTION 13. The Academic Council. - There shall be an Academic Council to be
composed of the President of the College, who shall act as Chairperson, and all the
academic staff with the rank of at least assistant professor, as members.

The Academic Council shall have the power to review and recommend the
curricular offerings and rules of discipline of the College, subject to the approval of the
Board. It shall fix the requirements for the admission of students, as well as for their
graduation and conferment of degrees, subject to review and/or approval by the Board
through the President of the College. It shall have the disciplinary power over students of
the College and shall formulate academic policies and rules and regulations on discipline,
subject to the approval of the Board.

SECTION 14. The Faculty. - No political beliefs, gender preference, cultural or
community affiliation or ethnic origin, and religious opinion or affiliation shall be a matter
of inquiry in the appointment of faculty members of the College: Provided, That said
appointment shall be subject to the guidelines, qualifications and/or standards set by the
Board: Provided, further, That no member of the faculty shall teach for or against any
particular church or religious sect.

SECTION 15. Scholarship Program/Admission. - The College shall provide a
scholarship program and other affirmative action programs to assist poor but deserving
students who qualify for admission to the College.

No student shall be denied admission to the College by reason of sex, religion,
cultural or community affiliation or ethnic origin.

SECTION 16. Authority to Loan or Transfer Apparatus/Equipment/Supplies and
Detail of Personnel. ~ The heads of bureaus and offices of the national government are
hereby authorized to loan or transfer, upon the request of the President of the College,
such apparatus, equipment or supplies as may be needed by the College, and to detail
employees for duty therein when, in the judgment of the head of bureau or office, such
apparatus, equipment, supplies or services of such employees can be spared without
serious detriment to public service.

The employees so detailed shall perform such duties as required of them by the
President of the College, and the time so employed shall be counted as part of their
regular services.

SECTION 17. Assets, Liabilities and Personnel. ~ All assets, real and personal,
personnel and records of the Cordova Public College, as well as liabilities or obligations,
are hereby transferred to the Cordova State College of Science and Technology. The
positions, rights and security of tenure of faculty members and personnel therein
employed under existing laws prior to the conversion into a State College shall be
respected,

All parcels of land belonging to the government and occupied by the Cordova
Public College are hereby declared to be property of the Cordova State College of Science
and Technology, and shall be titled under that name: Provided, That should the College
cease to exist or be abolished or should such parcels of land aforementioned be no longer


needed by the College, the same shall revert to the Municipality of Cordova, or the
Province of Cebu or the Republic of the Philippines, as the case may be.

SECTION 18. Tax Exemption on Importation and Donations. - The importation of
economic, technical and cultural books and/or publications, which are for economic,
technical, vocational, scientific, philosophical, historical or cultural purposes made by the
Cordova State College of Science and Technology upon certification by the CHED shall be
exempt from customs duties in accordance with the provisions of the Tariff and Customs
Code of the Philippines, as amended.

All donations in any form to the Cordova State College of Science and Technology
shall be exempt from the donor's tax and the same shall be considered as allowable
deduction from the gross income in the computation of the income tax of the donor, in
accordance with the provisions of the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997, as
amended,

SECTION 19. Appropriations. - The amount necessary to initially implement the
provisions of this Act shall be charged against the current year’s funding provided by the
local government unit (LGU) concerned. The concerned LGU shall continue to provide
assistance to the Cordova Public College until such time that the full funding requirement
of the Cordova State College of Science and Technology is included in the annual General
Appropriations Act.

SECTION 20. Development Plan, Management Audit, Organizational/
Administrative/Academic Structure. - Within the period of one hundred twenty (120) days
after the approval of this Act, the College shall accomplish the following:

(a) Submit a five (5)-year development plan, including its corresponding program
budget to the CHED, for corresponding recommendation to the DBM;

(b) Undergo a management audit in cooperation with the CHED; and

(c) Set up its organizational, administrative as well as academic structure,
including the appointment of the key officials of the College.

SECTION 21. Filing of Report. - On or before the fifteenth (15%) day of the second
(2) month after the opening of regular classes every year, the Board shall file with the
office of the President of the Philippines through the Chairperson of the CHED, and with
both Houses of Congress a detailed report on the progress, conditions and needs of the
College

SECTION 22. Suppletory Application. - The provisions of Republic Act No. 8292,
otherwise known as the “Higher Education Modernization Act of 1997”, shall be an
integral part of this Act and shall serve as part of the Governing Charter of the College.

SECTION 23. Parity Clause. - All other powers, functions and privileges,
responsibilities and limitations to state colleges and/or their officials under existing laws


shall be deemed granted to or imposed upon the College and/or its officials whenever
appropriate.

SECTION 24. Implementing Rules and Regulations, - The Board, in consultation
with the CHED, shall formulate the guidelines to fully implement the provisions of this
Act.

SECTION 25. Separability Clause. - If, for any reason, any part or provision of this
‘Act is declared invalid and unconstitutional, the remaining parts or provisions not
affected thereby shall remain in full force and effect.

SECTION 26. Repealing Clause. - All laws, presidential decrees, executive orders,
rules and regulations contrary to or inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are
hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

SECTION 27. Bffectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
publication in two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,