Republic of the Philippine
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SIXTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No._ 2784

INTRODUCED BY REP. ROMAN T. ROMULO

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The 1987 Constitution mandates the State "to protect and promote the right of all citizens to
quality education at all levels and to take appropriate steps to make education accessible to all.”
(Art XIV Sec 1)

Various international instruments, such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and the Convention on the
Rights of the Child, to which the Philippines is a signatory, have also declared education as a
right and not just a privilege. Hence, the country is duty-bound to provide free, quality, and
accessible education

However, considering the rising cost of education, especially college education, more and
more high school graduates find it impossible to enroll in college or drop out and fail to earn a
degree.

Data from the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) showed that enrollees in higher
education institutions (HEIs) from 2001 to the present have reached 2.56 million, but the
dropout rate reached an alarming 83.7 percent. This means that the country is producing 2.13-
million college dropouts annually.

CHED records also showed that enrollment in higher education has not been encouraging as it
slowed down from 1999 to 2002, and then dropped gradually starting 2002 to 2003, with
negative 0.8 percent growth in 2004-2005 for both public and private schools. Except for the big
jump in 1998-1999, enrollment has been sliding down, thereafter. Moreover, higher education
enrollment even in state universities and colleges shows a decelerating trend, weakening to
negative 1.2 percent growth in 2004-2005, despite the lower cost of public education. In the
case of private schools, the decline started as early as 2002,

Based on the Commission's 2008 data, out of 100 Grade 1 pupils, only 66 finish Grade 6 and
only 58 of them enroll in first year high school. Of the 58, only 43 finish high school. However,
only 23 of the 43 who finished high schoo! enroll in college and only 14 of the 23 eventually
graduate from college.


Also disturbing is the National Statistics and Coordination Board (NSCB) data on the ratio of
graduates to enrollment for higher education, which stands at 16 to less than 18 percent from
4994 to 2005. In the past 10 years, the NSCB reported that the total number of college
graduates increased by an average of only 2.9 percent. The number of graduates also
increased to only 481,862 in Academic Year 2009-2010 from 363,640 in AY 2000-2001

Considering that more than 26.5 percent or 3.8 million Filipino families are living below the
poverty line, as reported by the NSCB 2009 Poverty Statistics and released in February 2011,
access to tertiary education for bright and deserving children of these families would be almost
impossible, especially if they do not have the means to pay even for an entrance examination,
which is the initial step towards admission to a college degree program.

Thus, this bill aims to ensure that poor but deserving high school graduates are given equal
opportunities in applying for college admission to higher education institutions by removing the
first hindrance at the entry level, such as the prohibitive cost of entrance examinations

In view of the foregoing reasons, immediate approval of this measure is earnestly sought.

Pe ay

ROMAN T. ROMULO
Representative
Lone District, Pasig City


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

SIXTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House eiLno,__2784

Introduced by REP. ROMAN T. ROMULO

AN ACT
GRANTING FREE COLLEGE ENTRANCE EXAMINATIONS TO GRADUATING HIGH SCHOOL
STUDENTS, HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES, COLLEGE ENTRANTS OR TRANSFEREES
APPLYING FOR ADMISSION IN PUBLIC HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS AND TO
UNDERPRIVILEGED GRADUATING PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, HIGH SCHOOL
GRADUATES, COLLEGE ENTRANTS OR TRANSFEREES APPLYING FOR ADMISSION IN
PRIVATE HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS

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

SECTION 1. Short Title. This Act shall be known as the "Free College Entrance Exam Act.”

SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. It is hereby declared the policy of the State to expand and further
democratize access to quality education at the college level by instituting mechanisms that protect
the rights of underprivileged but bright and deserving high school graduates.

The exemption from the imposition of entrance examination fees is one such mechanism that
will ensure that underprivileged, but bright and deserving high school graduates, are given adequate
assistance and equal opportunity to pursue their dreams of obtaining a college education.

SEC. 3. Definition of Terms. For Purposes of this Act, the following terms shall mean:

a) College Entrance Examinations - shall refer to examinations required by higher education
institutions on graduating high school students or high school graduates as one of the criteria
for determining admission to a four-year or five-year college degree program in the said
educational institutions;

b) Underprivileged Public High School Graduates shall refer to public high school students
whose parents live below the poverty line or belong to the poorest of the poor, as determined
by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) and the National Household
Targeting System of the Department of Social Welfare and Development, who are the
qualified beneficiaries of this Act;

©) Higher Education Institution (HEI) — shall refer to an educational institution that is legally
authorized to offer a program of education leading to the conferment of a degree


SEC. 4. Coverage. All state universities and colleges (SUCs), local colleges and universities
(LUGs), special public HEIs and CHED supervised HEls offering degree-granting programs are
hereby required to provide free college entrance examinations to graduating high school students,
high school graduates, college entrants and transferees who are applying for college admission,

All private colleges, universities or institutions of higher education or degree-granting
programs are hereby required to provide free entrance examinations to underprivileged public high
School students, high school graduates, college entrants and transferees applying for college
admission.

SEC. 5. Qualification Requirements of Free College Entrance Examination Beneficiaries in
SUCs and LCUs. A student beneficiary eligible under this Act shall have the following entry
requirements:

a) Must be a natural-born Filipino citizen; and

b) Must be a graduating high school student or high school graduate, college entrant or
transferee and intends to enroll in any public HEI.

SEC. 6. Qualification Requirements of Free College Entrance Examination Beneficiaries in
Private HEIs:

a) Must be a natural-born Filipino citizen;
b) Must be enrolled in a public high school; and

) Must have parents or guardians living below the poverty line as determined by the NEDA and
DSWD.

SEC. 7. Penalties. Any HEI official or employee and other concerned individuals found guilty of
Violating the provisions of this Act shall suffer the penalty of prision correccional or imprisonment
from six (6) months and one (1) day to six (6) years and a fine of Seven Hundred Fifty Thousand
Pesos (P750,000.00).

In addition, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) may impose disciplinary sanctions
against any HE! official or employee violating the. provisions of this Act pursuant to Section 13 of
Republic Act No. 7722, otherwise known as the Higher Education Modernization Act of 1994

SEC. 8, Implementing Rules and Regulations. The CHED, in coordination with the DepED,
Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges (PASUC), the Coordinating Council of
Private Educational Associations (COCOPEA), and the Association of Local Colleges and
Universities (ALCU), shall issue the necessary rules and regulations for the effective implementation
of this Act.

SEC. 9. Separability Clause. If any provision of this Act is declared unconstitutional or invalid, the
other sections or provisions not otherwise affected shall continue to be in full force and effect


SEC. 10. Repealing Clause. All laws, executive orders, decrees, instructions, rules and regulations
contrary to or inconsistent with any provision of this Act are hereby amended, repealed or modified
accordingly.

SEC. 14. Effectivity Clause. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in at
least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,