Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS:
Third Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 9031

introduced by KABATAAN PARTY-LIST Representative Sarah Jane |. Elago

Explanatory Note

Article Il Section 17 of the 1987 Constitution states, “The State shall give priority to education,
science and technology, art, culture, and sports to foster patriotism and nationalism, accelerate
social progress, and promote total human liberation and Development.”

This is the guiding principle behind collective championing of the Comprehensive Free Public
Education Bill by the youth and students themselves, supported by legislators.

This proposed amendment seeks to uphold the public character of our state-run higher
education institutions, and gradually address the structural ills of the Philippine education
system

Introduction of a nationalist, scientific, and mass-oriented higher
education curriculum

This amendment also establishes a new higher education curriculum responsive to the needs
and the goals of the nation. The curriculum shall

© Foster patriotism and nationalism by instilling in every student the firm resolve never to
allow our people to be dominated and controlled by foreign powers or domestic tyrants, and
focusing on developing a self-reliant and independent national economy, with particular
emphasis on agrarian reform, and the development of the nation’s

agriculture and national industries;

© Inculcate a scientific worldview that heightens the social consciousness of all Filipino
students towards total human liberation, as well as foster a culture of learning that nurtures
learning directed towards understanding and solving the basic problems of Philippine society;

0 Serve to equip students with the knowledge and skills needed to serve the Filipino
nation. The new curriculum shall also encourage study programs that respond to community
needs. Students should not only learn through formal learning instruction and textbooks, but
also through immersion into the larger society that exists beyond

their classrooms,

Believing that fundamental changes in education should address the basic ills that hound the
system, we need tocollectively strive for a type of education that is not only free, but also



Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
Third Regular Session

9031
HOUSE BILL NO.

Introduced by KABATAAN PARTY-LIST Representative Sarah Jane |. Elago

AN ACT
STRENGTHENING AND EXPANDING THE FREE PUBLIC TERTIARY EDUCATION
THROUGH FORMULATION OF NATIONALIST, SCIENTIFIC AND MASS-ORIENTED
CURRICULUM, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10931,
OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE “UNIVERSAL ACCESS TO QUALITY TERTIARY
EDUCATION”

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

SECTION 1. Republic Act No. 10931, otherwise known as the “Universal Access to
Quality Tertiary Education’, is amended to read as follows:

“Section 8. Student Loan Program for Tertiary Education. - To support further the
cost of tertiary education or any part or portion thereof, a student loan program
for tertiary education is hereby likewise established for all Filipino students who
shall enroll in SUC, LUC, private HE! and TVET program in all TVIs registered
under the TESDA. The Loan program shall be administered by the UniFAST
Board and the amount necessary to fund the program shall be included in the
budgets of the CHED and the TESDA: Provided, That the UniFAST may offer
short-term or long-term loans: Provided, further, That those who availed of the
loan during their undergraduate degree may still avail of another cycle of student
loan for their pursuit of graduate studies, including medicine and law after they
have fully paid the previously availed loan: Provided, furthermore, That those
who did not avail of the loan program during their undergraduate studies may
avail of it to pursue graduate studies including medicine and law: Provided,
finally, That those who did not avail of the loan program during their
undergraduate studies may avail of the loan program for their review expenses
for licensure examinations administered by the Professional Regulation
Commission (PRC).

Repayment shall be effected by the incorporating a portion of the loan amount or
a percentage thereof in the employee's monthly Social Security System (SSS) or
Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) contribution, as the case may be
based on a reasonable schedule of repayment and interest rates. As may be
formulated by the UniFAST Board.


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Payment of the loan amount will commence once the beneficiary secures any
gainful employment with compensation, remuneration or earnings that reaches
the Compulsory Repayment Threshold (CRT). For purposes of this Act, the CRT
shall be set and reviewed by the UniFAST Board, and adjusted when necessary.

The UniF AST Board, in consultation with relevant agencies, shall formulate loan
payment guidelines for loan beneficiaries whose earnings are not covered by the
GSIS or the SSS programs, including those of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs),
emigrants, and self-employed persons and professionals (SEPs)

SECTION 9. FORMULATION OF A NATIONALIST, SCIENTIFIC, AND MASS-
ORIENTED HIGHER EDUCATION CURRICULUM. — ALONG WITH THE
INTRODUCTION OF THE SYSTEM OF FREE PUBLIC HIGHER EDUCATION,
THE CHED SHALL FORMULATE A NEW HIGHER EDUCATION
CURRICULUM THAT IS:

(1) NATIONALIST — THE NEW HIGHER EDUCATION CURRICULUM SHALL
BE CRAFTED BASED ON THE NEEDS AND THE GOALS OF THE NATION.
THE CURRICULUM SHALL FOSTER PATRIOTISM AND NATIONALISM, AND
SHALL INSTILL IN EVERY STUDENT THE FIRM RESOLVE NEVER TO
ALLOW OUR PEOPLE TO BE DOMINATED AND CONTROLLED BY
FOREIGN POWERS OR DOMESTIC TYRANTS. TERTIARY-LEVEL
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT SHALL ALSO FOCUS ON DEVELOPING
A SELF-RELIANT AND INDEPENDENT NATIONAL ECONOMY, WITH
PARTICULAR EMPHASIS ON AGRARIAN REFORM, AND THE
DEVELOPMENT OF THE NATION’S AGRICULTURE AND NATIONAL
INDUSTRIES;

(2) SCIENTIFIC — THE NEW HIGHER EDUCATION CURRICULUM SHALL
INCULCATE A SCIENTIFIC WORLDVIEW THAT HEIGHTENS THE SOCIAL
CONSCIOUSNESS OF ALL FILIPINO STUDENTS TOWARDS TOTAL HUMAN
LIBERATION. PUBLIC HIGHER EDUCATION SHALL SERVE TO FOSTER A
CULTURE OF LEARNING DIRECTED TOWARDS UNDERSTANDING AND
SOLVING THE BASIC PROBLEMS OF PHILIPPINE SOCIETY;

(3) MASS-ORIENTED — THE NEW HIGHER EDUCATION CURRICULUM
SHALL INCULCATE THE VALUE OF FREE EDUCATION AND THE
IMPORTANCE OF PROVIDING ACCESS TO EDUCATION AT ALL LEVELS.
IT SHALL SERVE TO EQUIP STUDENTS WITH THE KNOWLEDGE AND
SKILLS NEEDED TO SERVE THE FILIPINO NATION. THE NEW
CURRICULUM SHALL ALSO ENCOURAGE STUDY PROGRAMS THAT
RESPOND TO COMMUNITY NEEDS. STUDENTS SHOULD NOT ONLY
LEARN THROUGH FORMAL LEARNING INSTRUCTION AND TEXTBOOKS,
BUT ALSO THROUGH IMMERSION INTO THE LARGER SOCIETY THAT
EXISTS BEYOND THEIR CLASSROOMS.

Section [9] 10. Requirements for SUCs and LUCs. - SUCs and LUCs are hereby
mandated to:

(a) Establish a learner information system in accordance with the guidelines to be
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developed by the CHED in order to facilitate the tracking of students and their
performance;

(b) Submit relevant information as determined by the CHED on school quality
and performance; and

(c) Formulate and submit to the CHED and to the Joint Congressional Oversight
Committee on Universal Access to Tertiary Education created under Section 17
of this Act, a detailed SUC development plan updated every ten (10) years which
shall included plans for facilities and infrastructure development and expansion.

Section [10] 11
Section [11] 12...”
SECTION 3. Separability Clause. — If any provision or part thereof is held invalid or
unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall
remain valid or subsisting.
SECTION 4. Repealing Clause. — Republic Act No. 10931 is hereby amended
accordingly. Alll laws, decrees, executive orders and rules and regulations contrary to or
inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.
SECTION 5. Effectivity Clause. — This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
publication in the Official Gazette or in two (2) newspapers of general circulation

Adopted,