Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila
TWENTIETH CONGRESS
First Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO.____
Introduced by Representative MA. VICTORIA CO-PILAR
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Education is a fundamental right guaranteed by the 1987 Philippine Constitution
expressly 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.
Section 2 of the same Article directs the State to establish and maintain a complete,
adequate, and integrated system of education that is relevant to the needs of the people
and society.
Under the current basic education system, particularly the implementation of the K to
12 program under Republic Act No. 10533, students are required to complete Senior
High School (SHS) before pursuing higher education or employment. While this was
intended to prepare learners more adequately for life after school, the rigid nature of
the system fails to accommodate the diverse circumstances, strengths, and aspirations
of Filipino students. Many are unable to pursue college due to financial limitations,
while others complete SHS without acquiring employable skills. The lack of accessible
and responsive education pathways leads to a mismatch between education and
employment, high dropout rates, and underemployment.
The proposed measure entitled the “Education Pathways Act of 2025” seeks to
address these systemic issues by providing two distinct education pathways upon the
completion of Junior High School: the University Preparatory Program under the
Department of Education (DepEd) and the Technical-Vocational Program under the
Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). This dual-pathway
system acknowledges that success is not one-size-fits-all. It empowers students to
pursue the route most aligned with their goals—be it higher education or immediate
employment through industry-relevant skills.
To further facilitate continuity of learning, students who complete the technical-
vocational program may transition to college via the ladderized education system
provided under Republic Act No. 10647. This provision promotes the recognition of
prior learning and builds an integrated educational framework where learners are not
locked into a single track but are given the freedom to shift and progress based on their
evolving goals.
August 12, 2025
3:41 pm
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This measure was proposed by Hon. Roman T. Romulo in the previous Congress and
was approved by the body on third and final reading on 28 January 2025.
For these reasons, the immediate and favorable passage of this bill is earnestly sought.


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Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila
TWENTIETH CONGRESS
First Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO.____
Introduced by Representative MA. VICTORIA CO-PILAR
AN ACT
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PROVIDING EDUCATION PATHWAYS FOR BASIC EDUCATION STUDENTS,
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AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR
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Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress
5
assembled:
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SECTION 1. Short Title. – This Act shall be known as the “Education Pathways
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Act of 2025”.
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SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. – It is the policy of the State to protect and promote
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the right of all citizens to quality education at all levels and shall take appropriate steps
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to make such education accessible to all. The State shall further establish, maintain, and
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support a complete, adequate, and integrated system of education relevant to the needs
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of the people and society.
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To this end, the State shall ensure opportunities for Filipinos, regardless of age,
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background, ethnicity, disability, and association, to attain their maximum potential
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and enhance their employability by establishing inclusive education pathways that
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empower and equip the learners with the competencies that are necessary for college or
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employment.
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SEC. 3. Education Pathways for Completers of Junior High School. – Upon completing
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Junior High School, the students shall choose between two education pathways:
the
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University Preparatory Program under the Department of Education (DepEd) or the
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Technical-Vocational Program under the Technical Education and Skills Development
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Authority (TESDA).
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SEC. 4. Career Guidance and Assessments of Students. – Career guidance and
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counseling services, including aptitude and interest assessments to assist in selecting
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appropriate paths, as provided in Republic Act No. 11206, or the “Secondary
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School Career Guidance and Counseling Act”, shall be indispensable and crucial in
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aiding the students to make informed decisions about their preferred educational
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pathway.
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The DepEd shall administer various relevant assessments, including Early
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Language, Literacy and Numeracy Assessment and National Achievement Tests, to all
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elementary and secondary students across all levels. These assessments aim to evaluate
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their competencies and strengths. The results must be communicated to the students
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and their parents or guardians to provide them with ample time to consider their
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educational and career paths. These results shall also serve as a guide to the DepEd and
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teachers in adjusting and refining their teaching approaches to enhance effectiveness in
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student learning.
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The DepEd, TESDA, Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Department of
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Labor and Employment (DOLE), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department
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of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), Philippine Chamber of
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Commerce and Industry, Employers Confederation of the Philippines, National
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Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), and other concerned agencies shall
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develop a system or a portal where students can access data and information
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concerning higher and technical education, current career and industry trends and
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demands, and other tools that will guide them in their educational and career choices.
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SEC. 5. University Preparatory Pathway. – The DepEd shall develop and
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implement a comprehensive curriculum for Grades 11 and 12 that prepares students for
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admission to colleges and universities.
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This curriculum shall encompass fundamental subjects to improve and guarantee
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that students acquire functional literacy and practical skills, and elective courses to
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allow students to explore their interests and meet college and university admission
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requirements of their chosen degree.
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The DepEd shall include the University Preparatory Pathway in its education
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roadmap and collaborate with the CHED, colleges, and universities to guarantee
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alignment between the curriculum and college admission standards. Colleges and
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universities
must ensure that students can easily obtain information about their
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program of study or curriculum guide to adequately prepare for their college studies.
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SEC. 6. Technical-Vocational Education Pathway. – TESDA and the industry boards,
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partners, experts, and practitioners, including micro, small and medium enterprises,
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shall develop a variety of technical-vocational programs based on an industry-driven
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and industry-approved standards designed to equip students with practical skills and
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competencies that are at par with industry requirements. These programs must lead to
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a diploma or a higher national certificate level. The standards of these programs must
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further ensure that students acquire functional literacy skills to guarantee their
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employability upon completion of their chosen program and undergoing the necessary
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assessment for certification.
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To effectively implement the programs, TESDA and its accredited Technical
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Vocational Institutions must have a sufficient number of partner enterprises to ensure
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that the standards and training for these programs are aligned with current industry
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needs and requirements. This collaboration shall include the conduct of a review and
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evaluation of the standards every three (3) years to maintain its relevance and
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responsiveness to the prevailing trends in the industry. For TESDA to undertake the
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prompt issuance of training regulations or competency standards, whichever is
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applicable, for new and emerging skill sets, they shall likewise strengthen existing
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industry boards and establish within two (2) years from the effectivity of this Act
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industry boards for sectors without one.
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In the development and issuance of training regulations or competency
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standards, TESDA and the industry boards shall focus on higher-skill level and diploma
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programs.
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TESDA shall give preference to enterprise-based training programs for National
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Certification levels III and IV, Philippine Qualifications Framework level 5, and new
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and emerging skills for technical-vocational learners to enhance their skills and
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knowledge according to industry needs to encourage industry stakeholders to provide
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enterprise-based training, apprenticeship opportunities, and skills development.
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The assessments and certifications of students under public technical-vocational
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institutions and TESDA-funded programs shall be free of charge. TESDA shall
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implement a system that provides subsidies to students in private education, industry,
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or enterprise for their assessments and certifications by their economic standing. No
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student who failed
at least three (3) times may avail of the free or subsidized
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assessment and certification.
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SEC. 7. Honors Examination. – The DepEd, in consultation with the CHED, shall
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develop and administer an advanced placement exam, to be taken voluntarily by Grade
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10 students in the University Preparatory Pathway, in order to assess their aptitude and
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readiness to advance to a college degree.
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This advanced placement exam shall give students a grade which shall
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correspond to their level of proficiency and determine their eligibility to enroll to their
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chosen degree in a college or university.
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Students who
successfully
pass
the
advanced
placement
exam shall
be
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considered graduates of senior high school without the need to finish Grades 11 and 12,
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and shall be allowed to enroll in their chosen degree the following school year, subject
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to other requirements that colleges or universities may impose.
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SEC. 8. Availment of the Ladderized Education Program under Republic Act No. 10647.
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– Upon completion of the full technical-vocational program, the student may enroll in
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colleges or universities and avail of the ladderized education program for educational
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advancement.
The
CHED
and
TESDA
shall
strengthen
existing
policies
and
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implementation of programs for the accreditation and recognition of prior learning of
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students.
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SEC. 9. Scholarship Programs. – To ensure that the two educational pathways are
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accessible to a broad range of students, the DepEd and TESDA shall maintain an
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educational support program including scholarships for their respective students that
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properly and sufficiently addresses the accessibility and availability of the pathways to
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the marginalized communities and learners.
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The DepEd and TESDA shall continue to make available to their respective
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students the scholarship programs currently implemented in their agencies.
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Scholarships in the Technical-Vocational Education Pathway shall be made
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available to learners with disabilities, indigenous learners, and those coming from
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marginalized communities.
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Prioritization shall also be given to students enrolled in programs with higher
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skill levels or urgently needed by the industries.
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SEC. 10. Program Evaluation. – The DepEd and TESDA shall regularly assess and
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evaluate the effectiveness and quality of their respective education pathways. The
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findings of these assessments and evaluations shall be utilized to implement essential
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enhancements and modifications to ensure that the curriculum remains relevant to
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society.
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SEC. 11. Support from Other Government Departments and Agencies. – The CHED,
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DOLE, DTI, DICT, Department of Agriculture, Department of Science and Technology,
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NEDA,
Philippine
Qualifications
Framework
National
Coordinating
Council,
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Department of Budget and Management, and other related agencies are hereby
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mandated to extend the necessary support and resources towards the effective
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implementation of this Act.
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SEC. 12. Transition Provisions. – The DepEd and TESDA shall develop and refine
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their respective curriculum and standards to ensure that such are highly relevant and
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aligned with the current and future needs of society and industry, including emerging
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technologies, skills, and workforce demands.
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To ensure the effectiveness of the newly developed curriculum and standards,
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an initial implementation phase for three (3) years shall be conducted in a selected
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number of schools from different regions, socioeconomic conditions, and both urban
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and rural settings to be determined by the agencies. The DepEd and TESDA shall
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conduct
comprehensive
assessments
during
this
pilot
phase
to
evaluate
the
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effectiveness of the curriculum and standards in preparing the students for university
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and college or the workforce, and ensuring that it meets the intended goals. The
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assessment shall be accessible to the public and may undergo independent or third-
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party review. The DepEd and TESDA shall refine and enhance their respective
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curriculum and standards after considering the feedback from various sectors and roll
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out the final curriculum and standards within one (1) year from the assessment.
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Upon attaining the qualification standards, the teachers and instructors under
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the current Technical-Vocational Track of the Senior High School of the DepEd shall be
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given preference in hiring of instructors and teachers by the TESDA for the
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implementation of this Act.
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SEC. 13. Appropriations. – The amount necessary for the implementation of this
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Act shall be included in the respective budgets of DepEd and TESDA in the annual
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General Appropriations Act.
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SEC. 14. Joint Congressional Oversight Committee. – There is hereby created a Joint
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Congressional Oversight Committee (JCOC) to monitor and oversee the implementation
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of the provisions of this Act. The JCOC shall be composed of five (5) members each
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from the Senate and from the House of Representatives, respectively, including a
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member of the minority from each chamber, to be chaired jointly by the chairpersons of
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the Committees on Basic Education of both the Senate and the House of Representatives.
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The four (4) other members from each chamber shall be designated, respectively, by the
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President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
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SEC. 15. Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR). – Within ninety (90) days from
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the approval of this Act, the DepEd, TESDA, and CHED shall, in consultation with
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other
concerned
stakeholders,
formulate
and
issue
the
rules
and
regulations
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implementing the provisions of this Act.
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SEC. 16. Separability Clause. – If any part or provision of this Act is held invalid
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or unconstitutional, other provisions not affected thereby shall remain in force and
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effect.
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SEC. 17. Repealing Clause. – Section 4 of Republic Act No. 10533, or the “Enhanced
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Basic Education Act of 2013”, is hereby amended to remove the compulsory
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requirement for Senior High School in basic education.
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All other laws, orders, and rules and regulations contrary to, or inconsistent with
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the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or amended accordingly.
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SEC. 18. Effectivity. – Notwithstanding the non-issuance of the IRR, this Act shall
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take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper
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of general circulation.
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Approved,
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