FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
Firs t negu lar Session 
SENATE 
S. B. No. £091 
Introduced by Senator FRANCIS G. ESCUDERO 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
1 OJIJL 27 lor' :"33 
The Philippine educational system has been undergoing innovative 
transformation and restructuring to improve the quality of education and quality of 
graduates in the elementary, secondary and tertiary levels as means to promote 
national development and global competitiveness. Present condition indicates that 
a small percentage of college graduates successfully find appropriate employment 
perfectly suited for their respective courses. This has resulted to unemployment and 
over supply of college graduates in white collar jobs and shortages in skilled 
manpower. 
Moreover, recent results of professional examinations consistently 
yielded small percentage of successful examinees. This is further aggravated by the 
continuous exodus and migration of our professionals seeking employment and 
high paying jobs in other countries. 
To address this pressing and urgent 
predicament, there is a need to institutionalize a mechanism which will check, 
screen and monitor the flow o( secondary graduates to post-secondary learning 
institutions to promote national development and global competitiveness. In this 
light, the National Career Assessment Examination (NCAE) will act as an 
instrument La maintain a viable balance among the number of white collar 
employees, skilled manpower and entrepreneurs through a provision of career 
direction to secondary graduates. 
The bill shall provide a redirection of skills development program in the 
tertiary level specifically aimed at harmonizing and matching the supply coming 
from posL-secondary institution with that of the demand of the country's 
employment market. It shall address the evident need to institutionalize a career 
direction program for secondary graduates which would assess the individual's 
potential to; enter a four-year degree program, take technical/vocational course or 
embark into entrepreneurship. Finally, it shall answer the pressing and apparent 
need to prepare high school graduates for national development and global 
competitiveness. 
In view of the foregoing reasons, the approval of this bill is earnestly sought. 
FR 


FIFTUENTH CONGRESS OF THU 
REPUBLIC Of TI-W PHfLIPPlNES 
Firs ll{egular Session 
) 
) 
) 
SENATE 
S. B. No. 29_~ 1 
HI 
JUl 21 Ale :33 
_"'-f)'" 11 
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Introduced by Senator FRANCIS G. ESCUDERO 
AN ACT 
CREATING A NATIONAL CAREER ASSESSMENT EXAMINATION TO 
INSTITUTIONALIZE 
A 
CAREER 
DIRECTION 
PROGRAM 
FOR 
SECONDARY GRADlJATES, DEFINING ITS SCOPE AND FlJNCTIONS 
AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
Be it enllcted by the Sennte Ilnd the T-/ouse of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
Sec. 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "National Career 
._. 
,-_ ...... 
" 
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Assessment Examination Act". 
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Section 2. Nature and Scope - There is hereby instituted a National 
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Career Assessment Examination (NCAE) which is a system of assessing or 
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evaluating the potential or aptitude of each and every high school graduate to 
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pursue a £0Ul'- or five- year college degree course, a technological I voca tional 
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course, or an entrepreneurial course. 
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It aims to maintain the highest quality of education in the Philippines by 
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regulating and monitoring the flow of high school graduates to said courses 
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where they have better aptitude or potential. 
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Section 3. Declaration of Policy - It is hereby declared as the policy of the 
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State to maintain the highest quality of education for purposes of national 
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development and to respect the right of every citizen to select of profession or 
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course of study, subject to fair, reasonable. and equitable admission and 
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academic requirements. 


It is further declared that secondary education must give emphasis to the 
2 
development of different aptitude and interests of the students so as to equipped 
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them with knowledge and skills that will enable them to become useful, 
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productive and gainfully employed members of the society. 
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Furthermore, it is hereby declared that an assessment of the career 
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aptitude of high school graduates shall be made to guide them to take up courses 
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in colleges, universities, vocational or technological institutions where their 
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potentials will be best developed and where their training and/ or education will 
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be needed for national development. 
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Section 4. Purposes and Objectives - This Act shall have the following 
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purpose and objectives: 
1. To guarantee protection and promotion of the right of all citizens to 
quality education at all levels; 
2. To provide fair, reasonable and equitable admission and academic 
requirements; 
3. To reduce wastage in education arising from dropping out, non 
completion and / or low performing of students in colleges and 
universities and decreasing percentage of successful examinees in 
professional licensure examinations; 
4. To assess the academic, technical and vocational aptitudes of high 
school graduates in order to facilitate and rationalize their placement 
in degree and non-degree courses as the case may be; 
5. To attain excellence in education within the context of national 
development, to open more job opportunities to our labor force and to 
properly utilize their productive potentials. 
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Section 5. Scope of Examination - Beginning School Year 2010 - 2011 and 
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every year thereafter, all high school graduates seeking admission to any post-
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secondary degree or non-degree course, or a technological/vocational course or 
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to be an entrepreneur shall henceforth be required to undergo a National Career 
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Assessment Examination (NCAE). 
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The results of the test for each examinee shall serve as a guide for him / 
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her as to which degree or non-degree course or career to take up after high 
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school. Such test results shall serve as a prerequisite for enrolment by all high 
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school graduates to any post-secondary degree or non-degree course or a 
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technological/vocational course or entrepreneurial course. The test results 
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which indicate the skill / aptitude to which a student may aptly succeed shall be 
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one of the basis of his / her enrolment in a tertiary course. 
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Section 6. Test Administration - The Department of Education shall 
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conduct an annual NCAE through the National Education Testing and Research 
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Center (NETRC) to carry out the provisions of this Act. 
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Section 7. Powers and Duties of the Secretary - To carry out the purposes 
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and objectives of the NCAE, the Secretary of Education is hereby vested with the 
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following authority: 
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1. 
To conduct an annual NCAE through the National Education Testing and 
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Research Center (NETRC) in order to promote and implement a program 
that assesses and evaluates the potential or aptitude of each and every 
high school graduate to pursue a four- or five-year college degree course, 
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a technological/ vocational course, or a short entrepreneurial course; 
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2. 
To determine the method, form and content, both the test and the process 
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of checking and evalua~ing its results, as well as to fix the date and 
placets) of examination; 
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3. 
To enter, when desirable or necessary, into agreements or contracts with 
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qualified persons, institutions, organizations, government agencies, 
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2 
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entities and establishments to make payments incidental to such 
agreements Or contracts, to carry out the purposes and objectives of this 
Act; 
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4. 
To determine as the exigencies or national interest may dictate, 
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exemptions from the provisions of this Act; and 
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5. 
To do such other acts as may be proper and necessary in order to achieve 
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the policies of the NCAE. 
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Section 8. Content of Examination - The National Career Assessment 
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Examination (NCAE) shall measure the following aptitudes and skills of high 
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school graduates to wit: 
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I\. General ScllOlllslic Aptilude 
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1. Scientific Ability- This is an assessment of the individual's scientific 
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abilities and skills to adopt scientific methods, procedures and 
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processes in constructing knowledge and solving experimental of'' 
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real-life problems. 
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2. Reading Comprehension - This measures the ability to understand 
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what has been stated directly; to analyze, interpret, and criticize 
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what has been read; to recognize reasonable application of 
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principles or opinions expressed by the author. 
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3. Verbal Ability - This subtest measures the assertive ability of a 
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person in view of 'grammatical rules and logical arrangement of 
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ideas. 
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4. Mathematical Ability - The subtest is used to assess quantitative 
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abilities and computational skills, particularly on working with 
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numbers, perceiving relationship between two (2) quantities and 
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solving arithmetic.problems. 
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/3. Teclmiclll- Vocalional Aplilude 
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1. Manipulative Skills - This subtest measures abilities that require 
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perceptual and visual judgment in determining figures, symbols, 
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patterns, and nature of space as well as skills in mentally 
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manipulating Objects and concrete materials. 
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2. Clerical Ability - This is a test of ability and skill to encode 
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datal information and file office records, and ability to note details. 
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3. Entrepreneurial Skills - This is a test to assess one's capacity to 
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engage in business undertakings. 
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4. Non Verbal Ability - This tests a person's reasoning ability to 
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identify patterns presented in diagrammatic form. 
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5. Occupational fields of Interest 
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C. Occupational Fields of Interest 
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1. Outdoor Interests - This means that one will enjoy working with 
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naturalistic environment such as plants and animals. 
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2. Mechanical Interests - This means that one will enjoy working with 
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real-world materials . 
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3. Investigative Interests - This means that one will enjoy activities 
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which require mental work or using thinking skills. 
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4. Artistic Interests - This means that one will enjoy activities that 
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look at the artistic side of things such as forms, designs and 
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patterns. 
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5. Social Interests - This means that one will enjoy with work 
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activities that assist other people and promote learning and 
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personal development. 
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6. Enterprising Interests - This means that one will like activities that 
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have something to do with carrying out a project especially on 
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business ventures. 
, 
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7. Clerical Interests - This means that one will enjoy work activities 
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that follow set of procedures and routines. 
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Section 9. Rules and Regulations - The Secretary of Education shall 
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within sixty (60) days from the effectivity of this Act, promulgate such rules and 
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regulations as may be necessary for its implementation. Provided, that the full 
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implementation o{ the program be initiated for high school graduates of School 
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Year 2010-2011. 
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Said rules and regulations shall take effect fifteen (15) days following its 
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publication in the Official Gazette or in one newspaper of general circulation. 
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Section 10. Implementing Agencies - The Commission on Higher 
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Education (CHED) and Technical Education Skills Development Authority 
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(TESDA) shall implement a program in accordance with the NCAE results, as 
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follows; 
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1. To promote prudent and economic use of government funds, the 
lOCI-lED shall utilize the results of NCAE as basis for the selection of 
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grantees for its scholarship program 
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2. To further promote manpower skills development program, TESDA 
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and CHED shall adopt an educational program attuned with th~. 
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NCAE result; and 
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3. To set the cut-off score for the various courses of CHED and TESDA 
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though their Technical Panels. 
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Section 11. Examination' Centers and Date of Examination - Unless 
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otherwise previously announced, the National Career Assessment Examination 
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(NCAE) shall be administered throughout the country on the last Wednesday of 
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August of every year, in the place where the Provincial or City Division Office is 
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located; provided, however that additional examination centers may be 
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established in the province as may be determined by the Division Examination 
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Committee and approved by the Secretary of Education. 
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Section 12. Processing of the Examination Results - The processing of the 
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examination result shall be in the National Capital Region through the NETRC. 
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Section 13. Notices - The notice and certification shall be issued under the 
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following circumstances: 
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1. The certificate of ratings of examinees in the National Career 
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Assessment Examination (NCAE) shall be issued each year by the 
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Secretary of Education through the NETI~C. 
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2. Each examinee will be given a Certificate of Rating indicating his/her 
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rating in the domains <'If the NCAE. 
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3. A consolidated masterlist of the names of examinees may be made 
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available in the Division Office concerned. 
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4. Questions relating to the results of the NCAE may be verified from the 
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masterlist in the Office mentioned in the preceding paragraph and/ or 
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to the NETRC. 
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5. Issuance of a second copy of the NCAE Certificate of Rating can be 
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requested from NETRC. 
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Section 14. Limitations' - Results of the National Career Assessment 
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Examination (NCAE) shall not automatically entitle a student for admission into 
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any particular academic or professional course in a higher learning institution 
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which impose its own entrance examination as a requirement for admission: 
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Institutional results of the NCAE should not be used for any other 
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purposes except for career guidance, e.g. ranking and advertisement of schools. 
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Section 15. Appropriation - To carry out the provisions of this Act, the 
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sum of Twenty-Million Pesos is hereby annually appropriated as part of the 
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appropriation of the Department of Education out of any funds in the National 
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Treasury not otherwise appropriated. 
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Section 16. Miscellaneous Provisions -
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1. Any official, employee or teacher who violates or causes the violation 
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of the provisions of this Act, or commits or causes to commit any acts 
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of dishonesty or misconduct related to the performance of his/her 
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duties in the administration of the National Career Assessment 
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Examination shall be administratively dealt with in accordance with 
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existing Civil Service laws, rules and regulations 
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2. Students who commit· or cause the commission of any act of 
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dishonesty or misconduct concerning their application to, or in taking 
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the National Career Assessment Examination shall be barred from 
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further taking the same and the correction of their examination papers 
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withheld, without prejudice to any disciplinary administrative action 
that may be taken against them in accordance with existing rules and 
regulations of the Department of Education. 
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3. The Secretary of Education may 
Issue 
from 
time 
to 
time 
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supplementary instructions or directions and/ or amendments to any 
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provisions of the rules and regulations implementing this Act as he 
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may deem proper and necessary. 
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Section 17. Separability Clause - If [or any reason, a portion or provision 
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of this Act shall be declared unconstitutional, other parts or provisions hereof 
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which are not affected thereby shall be continue to be in full force and effect. 
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Section 18. Repealing Clause - All laws, decrees, rules and regulations or 
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parts thereof inconsistent with the provision of this Act are hereby repealed, 
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amended or modified accordingly. 
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Section 19. Effectivity - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days 
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following its publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
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Approved, 
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