Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIV!
Constitution Hills, Quezon City

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session

HOUSE BILL No. 8706

Introduced by Hon. Salvador B. Belaro, Jr.

EXPLANATORY NOTE
Researches are useless if they don’t have funding to realize them.

That such is the case is the tragedy of the research outputs of most of our
educational institutions.

This bill seeks to end such tragedy by putting up a research fund for
researches of outstanding value to local, regional and national development.

This bill would also empower the academe by giving them the means to
translate to reality their academic pursuits and put an end to many of them ending
up as ivory tower exercises.

Lastly, this bill will strengthen academe and industry linkage, a much
needed ingredient in accelerating the knowledge-based economy which is the
hallmark of this century.

In view of the foregoing, the approval of this bill is earnestly sought.

wie

CONG. SALVADOR B. BELARO, JR.
Representative
1-Ang Edukasyon Party List


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Constitution Hills, Quezon City

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 6706

Introduced by Hon. Salvador B. Belaro, Jr.

AN ACT
CREATING A RESEARCH FUND PROVIDING FOR ITS
ADMINISTRATION AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

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

SECTION 1. Title. — This Act shall be known as the “Research Fund Act of
2017”.

SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. — The State recognizes the indispensable
and essential role of science and technology in the globalized world. Thus, the
State shall give priority to research and development, invention, innovation, and
their utilization; and to science and technology education, training, and services.

SECTION 3. Appropriations. — A research fund with an initial amount of One
Billion Pesos (P1,000,000,000.00) is hereby established. Thereafter, the same
shall be replenished in subsequent years, the allocation of which would be
reflected in the annual General Appropriations Act.


SECTION 4. Criteria for Disbursement of Fund. — Any faculty member or
student of a higher educational institution may avail of this fund to realize a
completed research, the implementation of which would serve the interest of the
country, his city, his province, his region or his community in accordance with
the national development or of that of his city, province, region or community
and/or which has significance in term of our country’s coping with the effects of
regional integration efforts and globalization.

SECTION 5. Research Fund Council and Composition. — There shall be a
Research Fund Council (RFC) to be created in all the seventeen (17) regions of
the country, with the following objectives:

a

b.

To organize the monthly or yearly regional research application
among the higher educational institutions;

To design and implement the categories and criteria to be used for
the awarding of research grants and aids;

. To identify and approve of researches of faculty members and

students as endorsed by their respective higher educational
institutions;

i. To audit and report the use of research funds, subject to the

scrutiny of the members of the council and other stakeholders;

Moreover, the Research Fund Council (RFC) Board of Trustees shall
have the following composition:

. Regional Director of the Department of Science and Technology

(DOST) as the Chairman;

. Regional Director of the Commission on Higher Education as

Vice-Chairman;

Executive Director of the Research Fund Council;

Regional Director of the National Economic and Development
Authority (NEDA); and

. Representative from the National Academy of Science and

Technology (NAST)


SECTION 6. Implementing Rules and Regulation. — The Department of
Science and Technology (DOST) and the Commission on Higher Education
(CHED) are herein tasked to jointly formulate the implementing rules and
regulation of this Act.

SECTION 7. Separability Clause. — If any provision hereof is held invalid or
unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or provision not otherwise affected
shall remain valid and subsisting.

SECTION 8. Repealing Clause. — A\l laws, presidential decrees, executive
orders, rules and regulations contrary to or inconsistent with the provisions of
this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

SECTION 9. Effectivity. — This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

Approved,