Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

15™ CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 1753

Introduced by REP. SALVADOR H. ESCUDERO II

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The Philippine educational system has been undergoing innovative transformation
and restructuring to improve the quality of education and quality of graduates in the
elementary, secondary and tertiary levels as means to promote national development and
global competitiveness. Present condition indicates that a small percentage of college
graduates successfully find appropriate employment perfectly suited for their respective
courses. This has resulted to unemployment and over supply of college graduates in white
collar jobs and shortages in skilled manpower. Moreover, recent results of professional
examinations consistently yielded small percentage of successfull examinees. This is further
aggravated by the continuous exodus and migration of our professionals seeking employment
and high paying jobs in other countries. To address this pressing and urgent predicament,
there is a need to.institutionalize a mechanism which will check, screen and monitor the flow
of secondary graduates to post-secondary learning institutions to promote national
development and global competitiveness. In this light, the National Career Assessment
Examination (NCAE) will act as an instrument to maintain a viable balance among the
number of white collar employees, skilled manpower and entrepreneurs through a provision
of career direction to secondary graduates,

The bill shall provide a redirection of skills development program in the tertiary level
specifically aimed at harmonizing and matching the supply coming from post-secondary
institution with that of the demand of the country’s employment market. It shall address the
evident need to institutionalize a career direction program for secondary graduates which
would assess the individual's potential to; enter a four-year degree program, take
technical/vocational course or embark into entrepreneurship. Finally, it shall answer the
pressing and apparent need to prepare high school graduates for national development and
global competitiveness,

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

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SALVADOR H. ESCUDERO UI
Representative
1* District, Sorsogon


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

15™ CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 1753

Introduced by REP. SALVADOR H. ESCUDERO HI

AN ACT
CREATING A NATIONAL CAREER ASSESSMENT EXAMINATION TO
INSTITUTIONALIZE A CAREER DIRECTION PROGRAM FOR SECONDARY
GRADUATES, DEFINING ITS SCOPE AND FUNCTIONS AND FOR OTHER
PURPOSES

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

SECTION 1. Short Title. — This Act shall be known as the “National Career
Assessment Examination Act of 2009.”

SEC. 2. Nature and Scope ~ There is hereby instituted a National Career Assessment
Examination (NCAE) which is a system of assessing or evaluating the potential or aptitude of
each and every high school graduate to pursue a four- or five- year college degree course, a
technological / vocational course, or an entrepreneurial course.

It aims to maintain the highest quality of education in the Philippines by regulating
‘and monitoring the flow of high school graduates to said courses where they have better
aptitude or potential

SEC. 3. Declaration of Policy ~'It is hereby declared as the policy of the State to
maintain the highest quality of education for purposes of national development and to respect
the right of every citizen to select of profession or course of study, subject to fair, reasonable,
and equitable admission and academic requirements.

Itis further declared that secondary education must give emphasis to the development
of different aptitude and interests of the students so as to equipped them with knowledge and
skills that will enable them to become useful, productive and gainfully employed members of
the society

Furthermore, it is hereby declared that an assessment of the career aptitude of high
school graduates shall be made to guide them to take up courses in colleges, universities,
vocational or technological institutions where their potentials will be best developed and
where their training and/or education will be needed for national development

SEC. 4. Purposes and Objectives — This Act shall have the following purpose and
objectives:


1. To guarantee protection and promotion of the right of all citizens to quality

education at all levels:

To provide fair, reasonable and equitable admission and academic requirements;

To reduce wastage in education arising from dropping out, non completion and /

or low performing of students in colleges and universities and decreasing

percentage of successfil examinees in professional licensure examinations;

4, To assess the academic, technical and vocational aptitudes of high school
graduates in order to facilitate and rationalize their placement in degree and non-
degree courses as the case may be;

5. To attain excellence in education within the context of national development, to
‘open more job opportunities to our labor force and to properly utilize their
productive potentials.

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SEC. 5. Scope of Examination — Beginning School Year 2010 ~ 2011 and every year
thereafter, all high school graduates seeking admission to any post-secondary degree or non-
degree course, or a technological / vocational course or to be an entrepreneur shall henceforth
be required to undergo a National Career Assessment Examination (NCAE),

‘The results of the test for each examinee shall serve as a guide for him / her as to
which degree or non-degree course or career to take up after high school. Such test results
shall serve as a prerequisite for enrolment by all high school graduates to any post-secondary
degree or non-degree course oF a technological / vocational course or entrepreneurial course.
‘The test results which indicate the skill / aptitude to which a student may aptly succeed shall
be one of the basis of his / her enrolment in a tertiary course.

SEC. 6, Test Administration - The Department of Education shall conduct an annual
NCAE through the National Education Testing and Research Center (NETRC) to carry out
the provisions of this Act.

SEC.7 Powers and Duties of the Secretary - To carry out the purposes and
objectives of the NCAE, the Secretary of Education is hereby vested with the following
authority:

1. To conduct an annual NCAE through the National Education Testing and Research
Center (NETRC) in order to promote and implement a program that assesses and
evaluates the potential or aptitude of each and every high school graduate to pursue @
four- or five-vear college degree course, a technological/vocational course, or a short
entrepreneurial course,

2. To determine the method, form and content, both the test and the process of checking
and evaluating its results, as well as to fix the date and place(s) of examination;

3. To enter, when desirable or necessary, into agreements or contracts with qualified
persons, institutions, organizations, government agencies, entities and establishments
to make payments incidental to such agreements or contracts, to carry out the
purposes and objectives of this Act;

4. To determine as the exigencies or national interest may dictate, exemptions from the
provisions of this Act; and

5. To do such other acts as may be proper and necessary in order to achieve the policies
of the NCAE.

SEC. 8. Content of Examination ~ The National Career Assessment Examination
(NCAE) shall measure the following aptitudes and skills of high school graduates to wit:


A. General Scholastic Aptitude

1. Scientific Ability- This is an assessment of the individual’s scientific abilities
and skills to adopt scientific methods, procedures and processes in
constructing knowledge and solving experimental or real-life problems,

2. Reading Comprehension — This measures the ability to understand what has
been stated directly; to analyze, interpret, and criticize what has been read; to
recognize reasonable application of principles or opinions expressed by the
author.

3. Verbal Ability — This subtest measures the assertive ability of a person in view
of grammatical rules and logical arrangement of ideas.

4. Mathematical Ability ~ The subtest is used to assess quantitative abilities and
computational skills, particularly on working with numbers, perceiving
relationship between two (2) quantities and solving arithmetic problems.

B. Technical-Vocational Aptitude

1. Manipulative Skills ~ This subtest measures abilities that require perceptual
and visual judgment in determining figures, symbols, patterns, and nature of
space as well as skills in mentally manipulating objects and concrete materials

2. Clerical Ability — This is a test of ability and skill to encode data/information
and file office records, and ability to note details.

3. Entrepreneurial Skills ~ This is a test to assess one’s capacity to engage in
business undertakings.

4, Non Verbal Ability - This tests a person’s reasoning ability to identify
pattems presented in diagrammatic form.

5. Occupational Fields of Interest
C. Occupational Fields of Interest

1. Outdoor Interests ~ This means that one will enjoy working with naturalistic
environment such as plants and animals.

2. Mechanical Interests — This means that one will enjoy working with real-
world materials.

3. Investigative Interests — This means that one will enjoy activities which
require mental work or using thinking skills.

4, Artistic Interests ~ This means that one will enjoy activities that look at the
artistic side of things such as forms, designs and pattems

5. Social Interests — This means that one will enjoy with work activities that
assist other people and promote learning and personal development.

6. Enterprising Interests — This means that one will like activities that have
something to do with carrying out a project especially on business ventures.


7. Clerical Interests — This means that one will enjoy work activities that follow
‘set of procedures and routines.

SEC. 9. Rules and Regulations - The Secretary of Education shall within sixty (60)
days from the effectivity of this Act, promulgate such rules and regulations as may be
necessary for its implementation. Provided, that the full implementation of the program be
initiated for high school graduates of School Year 2010-2011.

Said rules and regulations shall take effect fifteen (15) days following its publication
in the Official Gazette or in one newspaper of general circulation.

SEC. 10. Implementing Agencies - The Commission on Higher Education (CHED)
and Technical Education Skills Development Authority (TESDA) shall implement a program
in accordance with the NCAE results, as follows;

1. To promote prudent and economic use of government funds, the CHED shali
utilize the results of NCAE as basis for the selection of grantees for its scholarship
program

2. To further promote manpower skills development program, TESDA and CHED
shall adopt an educational program attuned with the NCAE result; and

3. To set the cut-off score for the various courses of CHED and TESDA though their
‘Technical Panels.

SEC. 11. Examination Centers and Date of Examination - Unless otherwise
previously announced, the National Career Assessment Examination (NCAE) shall be
administered throughout the country on the last Wednesday of August of every year, in the
place where the Provincial or City Division Office is located; provided, however that
additional examination centers may be established in the province as may be determined by
the Division Examination Committee and approved by the Secretary of Education.

SEC.12. Processing of the Examination Results - The processing of the examination
result shall be in the National Capital Region through the NETRC.

SEC. 13. Notices — The notice and certification shall be issued under the following
circumstances:

1, The certificate of ratings of examinees in the National Career Assessment
Examination (NCAE) shall be issued each year by the Secretary of Education
through the NETRC.

2. Each examinee will be given a Certificate of Rating indicating his/her rating in the
domains of the NCAE.

3. A consolidated masterlist of the names of examinees may be made available in the
Division Office concerned.

4. Questions relating to the results of the NCAE may be verified from the masterlist
in the Office mentioned in the preceding paragraph and/or to the NETRC.

5. Issuance of a second copy of the NCAE Certificate of Rating can be requested
from NETRC.


SEC. 14. Limitations - Results of the National Career Assessment Examination
(NCAE) shall not automatically entitle a student for admission into any particular academic
or professional course in a higher learning institution which impose its own entrance
examination as a requirement for admission.

Institutional results of the NCAE should not be used for any other purposes except for
career guidance, e.g. ranking and advertisement of schools.

SEC.15. Appropriation - To carry out the provisions of this Act, the sum of Twenty-
Million Pesos is hereby annually appropriated as part of the appropriation of the Department
of Education out of any funds in the National Treasury not otherwise appropriated.

SEC. 16, Miscellaneous Provisions —

1. Any official, employee or teacher who violates or causes the violation of the
provisions of this Act, or commits or causes to commit any acts of dishonesty or
misconduct related to the performance of his/her duties in the administration of
the National Career Assessment Examination shall be administratively dealt with
in accordance with existing Civil Service laws, rules and regulations

2. Students who commit or cause the commission of any act of dishonesty or
misconduct concerning their application to, or in taking the National Career
Assessment Examination shall be barred from further taking the same and the
correction of their examination papers withheld, without prejudice to any
disciplinary administrative action that may be taken against them in accordance
with existing rules and regulations of the Department of Education

3. The Secretary of Education may issue from time to time supplementary
instructions or directions and/or amendments to any provisions of the rules and
regulations implementing this Act as he may deem proper and necessary.

SEC. 17. Separability Clause - If for any reason, a portion or provision of this Act
shall be declared unconstitutional, other parts or provisions hereof which are not affected
thereby shall be continue to be in full force and effect

SEC. 18. Repealing Clause - All laws, decrees, rules and regulations or parts thereof
inconsistent with the provision of this Act are hereby repealed, amended or modified
accordingly.

SEC. 19. Effectivity - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days following its
publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,