REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
19th CONGRESS 
SECOND REGULAR SESSION 
HOUSE BILL NO.  __________ 
INTRODUCED BY HONORABLE EDUARDO ‘BRO. EDDIE’ C. VILLANUEVA 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Based on the Supreme Court of the Philippines’ Lawyers’ List, as of November 30, 
2022, there is a total of 84,236 lawyers in the Roll of Attorneys since the first Philippine 
Bar Exams took place in 1901.1  
However, the number of active lawyers in the country is lower as there are non-
practicing lawyers, lawyers working in other jurisdictions, have passed away, or for any 
other reason do not engage in active legal practice. Lawyer-to-population ratio in other 
jurisdictions are lower. According to the World Population Review, an independent 
organization based in the United States,2 the lawyers per capita in the following countries 
are as follows: United States (1 lawyer:248 residents); Italy (1 lawyer:260 residents): and 
Germany (1 lawyer:516 residents).3 Previous estimates in 2016 cite that there are around 
40,000 living lawyers, with 1 lawyer serving 2,500 Filipinos.4 While the total population of 
the country has increased since then to 109.035 million Filipinos,5 and additional lawyers 
have been 1 Supreme Court of the Philippines, admitted to the Philippine Bar, our current 
ratio may still be far from manageable, necessitating the country to produce more lawyers. 
Nonetheless, the pursuit of legal education is not a small feat. Tuition fees alone 
in private law schools in the country range from Php33,000 to Php98,000 per semester, 
while fees in a leading state law school range from Php25,000 to Php30,000 per 
semester. Additional costs for books and reading materials, commuting or renting 
accommodation. Bar petition, review, and exam-related costs, and other miscellaneous 
fees likewise vary.  
Thus, this bill aims to provide deserving students access to legal education, with 
the aim of bridging the gap of access to justice by increasing the number of lawyers in the 
public service. Inspired by the “Doktor Para sa Bayan Act” established under Republic Act 
No. 11509, the bill proposes to establish a Legal Scholarship and Return Service (LSRS) 
December 11, 2023
8:00 am
9699


Program for deserving students in state universities and colleges (SUCs) and partner 
private higher education institutions.  
The LSRS shall be separate and distinct from the Clinical Legal Education 
Program under Rule 138-A of the Rules of Court. The LSRS shall be administered by the 
Legal Education Board (LEB), which is tasked with the duty of administering the legal 
education system in the country under Republic Act No. 7662 or the “Legal Education 
Reform Act of 1993,” in coordination with the UniFAST Board created under Republic Act 
No. 10687 or the “Unified Student Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education 
(UniFAST) Act.” Covered financial assistance in the LSRS Program include: a) Free 
tuition and other school fees; Allowance for prescribed books; Clothing or uniform 
allowance; Allowance for dormitory or boarding house accommodation; Transportation 
allowance; Bar review fees, including Bar examination application fees:  
Provided, That the same shall only be available for the first two (2) bar 
examinations 
taken; Annual 
medical 
insurance; 
and 
other 
education-related 
miscellaneous subsistence or living allowances. b) c) d) e) f) g) h) In return, scholars shall 
render at least one (1) year of return service for every scholarship year availed of, and 
shall be integrated into the public or pro bono legal service system, through the Public 
Attorney’s Office or other appropriate government offices in need of lawyers, and shall be 
granted the appropriate civil service rank, salary, and related benefits.  
The immediate passage of this bill is earnestly sought. 
HON. EDUARDO ‘BRO. EDDIE’ C. VILLANUEVA 
_____________________________________________________________________ 
Lawyers’ List. Available at https://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/lawlist/ (Accessed on January 5, 2023). 2 About World 
Population Review. Available at https://worldpopulationreview.com/about (Accessed on January 5, 2023). 
3 Lawyers per Capita by Country 2023. Available at https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-
rankings/lawyers-per-capita-bycountry (Accessed on January 5, 2023). 4 September 16, 2016, Too Many 
Lawyers. Foundation for Economic Freedom. Available at https://www.fef.org.ph/jemygatdula/too-many-
lawyers/ (Accessed on January 5, 2023). 5 Philippine Statistics Authority, 2020 Census of Population and 
Flousing. Available at https://psa.gov.ph/population-andhousing/node/167965 (Accessed on January 5, 
2023). 


REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
19th CONGRESS 
SECOND REGULAR SESSION 
HOUSE BILL NO.  __________ 
INTRODUCED BY HONORABLE EDUARDO ‘BRO. EDDIE’ C. VILLANUEVA 
AN ACT 
AMENDING REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7662, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE LEGAL 
EDUCATION REFORM ACT OF 1993, CREATING FOR THE PURPOSE A LEGAL 
SCHOLARSHIP AND RETURN SERVICE PROGRAM, APPROPRIATING FUNDS 
THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled:  
SECTION 1. Long Title. - The long title of Republic Act No. 7662, otherwise known 
as the “Legal Education Reform Act of 1993,” shall be amended as follows; “An Act 
Providing for Reforms in the Legal Education, Creating for the Purpose, a Legal Education 
Board AND A LEGAL SCHOLARSHIP AND RETURN SERVICE PROGRAM, and for 
Other Purpose”  
SEC. 2. Short Title. - Section 1 of Republic Act No. 7662 shall be amended to 
read as follows: Section 1. Title. - This Act shall be known as the “Legal Education Reform 
AND LEGAL SCHOLARSHIP AND RETURN SERVICE PROGRAM ACT.”  
SEC. 3. Legal Scholarship Fund. - New Sections 11-A to 11-D shall be inserted 
to read as follows:  
Section 11-A. Establishment of the Legal Scholarship and Return Service Program. - 
There shall be established a Legal Scholarship and Return Service (LSRS) Program for 
deserving students in state universities and colleges (SUCs) or in partner private higher 
education institutions (PHEIs) in regions where there are no SUCs offering a Bachelor of 
9699


Laws or Juris Doctor Program: Provided, That the Legal Education Board may designate 
more than one (1) partner higher education institutions (HEIs) in the region, including 
regions where there are existing SUCs offering the Bachelor of Laws or Juris Doctor 
Program as deemed necessary, upon consultation with the Integrated Bar of the 
Philippines, the Philippine Association of Law Schools and other relevant stakeholders. 
In all case, qualified applicants from municipalities without an active practicing lawyer 
providing pro bono services or other similar organizations offering pro bono or discounted 
legal services or areas shall be prioritized in the allocation of scholarship slots to ensure 
the assignment of one (1) lawyer for every municipality in the country. The LSRS, 
including the funding thereof, shall be administered by the Legal Education Board, in 
coordination with the UniFAST Board created under Republic Act No. 10687 or the 
“Unified Student Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education (UniFAST) Act.”  
Section 11-B. Coverage. - The LSRS Program established under this Act shall be made 
available to deserving Filipino students who want to pursue a Bachelor of Laws or Juris 
Doctor degree. The student financial assistance for the LSRS Program shall include the 
following;  
a) Free tuition and other school fees;  
b) Allowance for prescribed books;  
c) Clothing or uniform allowance;  
d) Allowance for dormitory or boarding house accommodation;  
e) Transportation allowance;  
f) Bar review fees, including Bar examination application fees: Provided, That the same 
shall only be available for the first two (2) bar examinations taken;  
g) Annual medical insurance; and  
h) Other education-related miscellaneous subsistence or living allowances.  
 
Section 11-C. Conditions for the Grant of Scholarship. - Deserving students accepted to 
the LSRS Program shall be subject to the following conditionalities: a) Must sign an 
agreement stating the terms and conditions of the scholarship on a form prescribed by 
the LEB pursuant to the provisions of this Act; b) Must carry the full load of subjects 
prescribed per semester by the sue or PHEI, and shall not, under any circumstances, 
drop a course which will result in underloading; c) Must meet all the academic 
requirements of the SUC or PHEI concerned; Must finish the entire Bachelor of Laws or 
Juris Doctor degree program within the prescribed time frame of the SUC or PHEI where 
the scholar is enrolled in, subject to the retention policies of the SUC or PHEI;  
Provided, that nothing herein shall prevent the scholar from applying for a leave of 
absence for justifiable reason/s; e) Must take the Bar examination within a maximum 


period of one (1) year after completion of the degree program; and f) Must render return 
service as provided under Section 11 -D of this Act. A violation of any of the foregoing 
conditions shall automatically result in the revocation of the scholarship provided under 
this Act.  
The acceptance of another scholarship while the scholar is a recipient of the benefits of 
the LSRS Program shall also result in the revocation of the scholarship.  
Section 11-D. Return Service. - The scholar shall render at least one (1) year of return 
service for every scholarship year availed of: Provided, That any fraction of scholarship 
year shall be deemed as one (1) whole year for the purposes of computing the return 
service provided under this Section; Provided, further. That the scholar shall have a period 
of three (3) years from the time of signing the Roll of Attorneys to commence the return 
service; Provided further, That the scholar shall be integrated into the public or pro bono 
legal service system, through the Public Attorney’s Office and other appropriate 
government offices in need of lawyers, and shall receive the appropriate civil service rank, 
salary and related benefits; Provided, further. That the mandatory return service herein 
provided shall be distinct and separate from the Clinical Legal Education Program as 
provided under Rule 138-A of the Rules of Court; Provided, finally. That the scholar shall 
serve in a government public legal office in the scholar’s hometown or, in the absence of 
a need thereat, in any municipality within the scholar’s home province, or in any 
underserved municipality closest to the scholar’s hometown determined by the Board as 
a priority area, upon consultation with relevant stakeholders. A scholar who fails or refuses 
to comply with the mandatory return service and integration provided under this Act shall 
be required to pay two times the full cost of scholarship, including other benefits and 
expenses incurred by reason of participation in the scholarship program, with full legal 
interest thereon; Provided, That the abovementioned penalties shall not apply to lawyers 
who fail to comply with the required return service on account, or by reason of, severe or 
serious illness, or death.  
 
SEC. 4. Appropriations. - An initial amount of One Hundred Million Pesos (Phpl 
00,000,000.00) shall be appropriated as seed money for the establishment of the Legal 
Scholarship and Return Service Program provided under this Act. Thereafter, the amount 
necessary for the continuous implementation of the legal scholarship provided under this 
Act shall be included in the scholarship program of SUCs and LEB in the annual General 
Appropriations Act.  
 
SEC. 5. Implementing Rules and Regulations. -Within thirty (30) days from the 
effectivity of this Act, the LEB, in consultation with the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO), the 
Integrated Bar of the Philippines, the Philippine Association of Law Schools and other 
relevant stakeholders, shall promulgate the implementing rules and regulations for the 
effective implementation of this Act.  


SEC. 6. Repealing Clause. - All laws, orders, issuances, rules and regulations or 
part thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed, amended or 
modified accordingly. SEC. 7. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) 
days after its publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of general 
circulation.  
 
Approved,