Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

3589

House Bill No.

Introduced by Representatives Mariano Michael M. Velarde Jr. and William
Irwin Tieng (BUHAY Party List)

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Article XIV Section 1 of the Philippine 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.

However, recent data prove contrary to this policy.

Out of the six million students who were able to enter high school, only 2.4 million
or 60 percent (60%) entered college in 2002-2004. While graduation rate among
high school students was pegged at 90.62 percent in that year, cohort survival rate
from 1st year to 4th year college was only 63.88 percent. Completion rate was even
lower - only 58.62 percent.’ Moreover, in June 2004, the Wallace report pegged
college dropout rate at a staggering all-time high of 73 percent. The United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) National Commission
of the Philippines, on the other hand, reported a measly 22 percent overall student
survival from 1st to 4th year college.?

The continuing increase in the cost of tertiary education, inadequate government
expenditure on education, continuous surge in oil and food prices compounded by
the looming economic recession will only result in the exacerbation of this alarming
statistics unless firm political will is exercised and appropriate state intervention is
put in place.

In this light, this measure seeks to provide scholastically deserving graduates of
public and state-supported high schools the opportunity to enjoy their right to
higher education and subsequently, guarantee for them a better quality of life. It is
hoped that the passage of this bill shall see more poor but deserving high school
graduates, who view high school as a dead end, having access to higher education.

Information retrieved from: http://www. bulatlat.com/news/5-9/5-9-greduationprinter.htm\, Retrieved on 5 February
2009.
? Information retrieved from: http://www.gmanews.tv/storSri99862/High-tuition-has-forced-many-to-abandoncollege-
dreams. Retrieved on 5 February 2009.
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In view of the OD immediate approval of this measure is earnestly


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

3589

House Bill No.

Introduced by Representatives Michael M. Velarde and William Irwin Tieng
(BUHAY Party List)

AN ACT
GRANTING COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIP TO STUDENTS WHO GRADUATED AS
VALEDICTORIANS AND SALUTATORIANS FROM PUBLIC AND STATE-
SUPPORTED HIGH SCHOOLS IN THE PHILIPPINES, APPROPRIATING FUNDS.
THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

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

SECTION 1. Declaration of Policy. - It is hereby declared the policy of the State to
establish and maintain a system of scholarship grants, student loan programs,
subsidies, and other incentives which shall be available to deserving students in
public schools, especially to the underprivileged. Towards this end, the State shall
provide financial support or assistance to qualified honor graduates from public
and state-supported secondary schools in the country.

SEC. 2. Coverage. - All state colleges and universities under the governance of the
Commission on Higher Education (hereinafter referred to as “CHED”) are hereby
mandated to grant four or five-year college scholarship, depending on the degree
program, to the top two (2) graduates or the graduates who garnered the top two
highest overall grade average from the public and private secondary day and night
schools in the country. These graduates could be honored as the valedictorian and
salutatorian, or first and second, as the case may be.

The qualified scholar shall be entitled to avail of a two (2) or three (3) year Technical
Vocational course or any four or five-year degree course in any educational
institution of his/her choice.

SEC. 3. Qualifications. - ‘To qualify for the aforementioned scholarship program,
hereinafter referred to as the “Program”, the graduate must:

a. be a natural-born citizen of the Philippines whose parents (natural or
adoptive) or legal guardians are residents and registered voters in the
country; and

b. have graduated from any public or state-supported secondary school in the
country.


SEC. 4. Benefits. - The national government shall grant the qualified applicant the
following benefits:

a. Tuition and other fees. - The graduates who earned the highest and second
highest grade average (Valedictorian, Salutatorian) of each of night and
day classes are entitled to receive a scholarship equivalent to a full tuition
and other fees;

b. Food Allowance - The qualified applicants shall receive Five Hundred Pesos
(PhPS00.00) per month for ten (10) months in a year for food;

c. Transportation allowance. - The qualified applicants shall receive an
allowance of Five Hundred Pesos (PhP500.00) per month for ten (10)
months in a year for transportation.

d. Book Allowance - The qualified applicants shall receive Five Hundred Pesos
(PhP500.00) per semester or One Thousand Pesos (P1,000.00) per year for
books or similar reference materials;

€. Clothing allowance - The qualified applicants shall receive Five Hundred
Pesos (PhP500.00) per year for uniform clothing.

SEC. 5. Rights of Scholars. - Subject to the limitations prescribed by laws and
regulations, the scholars shall enjoy the following rights:

a. The right to freely choose their field of study subject to existing curricula
and to continue their course therein up to graduation, except in cases of
academic deficiency, or violation of disciplinary regulations;

s

. The right to shift to alternative field of study: Provided, however, That the
government will pay only the remaining years of their scholarship

°

‘The right to make decisions and selecting alternative scholarship programs
other than that provided by the government: Provided, however, That no
scholar shall enjoy two (2) scholarships at one time.

2

That if the scholar has availed of any government scholarship program
other than the Program, he/she shall only entitled to receive Food
Allowance, Transportation Allowance, Book Allowance, and Clothing
Allowance.

SEC. 6. Render of Service - Whenever the State deems it necessary to employ the
professional service of a graduate-beneficiary of the Program, he/she shall make
himself/herself available for the public service to perform a duty and discharge a
function, subject, however, to the following conditions:

a. He/She shall be justifiably compensated in accordance with the law;

b. The service to be rendered is related to his/her qualifications and skill;
and


c. In no way that he/she can be required to render service for more than two
(2) years without his/her prior consent and approval.

SEC. 7. Funding. - The amount necessary for the effective implementation of this
Act shall be charged to the appropriations for the CHED under the current General
Appropriations Act (GAA). Thereafter, such sums as may be necessary for the
continued implementation of this Act shall be included in the annual GAA.

SEC. .8. Implementing Rules. - The Commissioner of CHED shall issue the
pertinent rules and regulations with regard to this Act, including, but not limited to,
the application for, termination of, suspension and lifting or suspension of the
Program.

SEC. 9. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part hereof is held invalid or
unconstitutional, the remainder of this Act or its provision not otherwise affected
shall remain valid and subsisting.

SEC. 10. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive
order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to, or
inconsistent with, the provisions of this Act, is hereby repealed, modified, or
amended accordingly.

SEC. 11. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
complete publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of
general circulation.

Approved,

Hon. Mariano Michael M. Velarde Jr.

Hon. William Irwin\Teng