Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

TWENTIETH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 2498

Introduced by Honorable EULOGIO “LEO” R. RODRIGUEZ

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Article XIV, Section 1 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution mandates that the State shall
protect and promote the right of all citizens to quality education at all levels and shall take
appropriate steps to make such education accessible to all.

In pursuit of this constitutional mandate, Republic Act No. 10229 converted the
Campuses of the Catanduanes State Colleges in the Municipalities of Virac and Panganiban
into the Catanduanes State University (CATSU) in 2012. Building upon this educational
milestone, this bill seeks to establish a regular campus of CATSU in the Municipality of
Pandan, the northernmost municipality in the island province of Catanduanes.

The Municipality of Pandan, situated over 90 kilometers from Virac and about 50
kilometers from the Panganiban, along with its neighboring municipalities of Bagamanoc and
Caramoran, has a combined population of 64,673, accounting for nearly 25% of the province's
total population (2020 Census). Due to the significant distance, students from these areas must
either travel long hours or relocate to boarding houses to pursue higher education, incurring,
additional costs for transportation, housing, and daily living costs - challenges that weigh
heavily on families with limited means.

The proposed CATSU-Pandan Campus will ease financial and logistical burdens by
providing accessible and quality higher education to the communities of northern Catanduanes.
It will provide students the opportunity to complete their studies without the need for
relocation, thereby reducing financial strain on households and helping students remain with
their families and support systems.

Furthermore, the establishment of a new campus in Pandan will help decongest the
main campus in Virac, which recorded 8,805 enrollees during the 2022-2023 academic year.
‘An additional campus allows for better distribution of students, faculty, and resources, enabling
CATSU to be effectively managed and have greater reach.

Beyond improving access and relieving congestion, the proposed campus will support
the offering of new and relevant academic and technical programs tailored to the human
resource needs of local communities and industries. It will also promote local research,
extension services, and community development initiatives in line with CATSU’s broader
mandate.


If enacted into law, the establishment of the CATSU-Pandan Campus reaffirms the
State’s commitment to accessible and equitable education, promotes development in northern
Catanduanes, and empowers the youth to pursue their educational and professional aspirations
while contributing to the growth and resilience of their local communities, to the province, and
the Bicol region.

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



Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

TWENTIETH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 2498

Introduced by Honorable EULOGIO “LEO” R. RODRIGUEZ

AN ACT
ESTABLISHING A REGULAR CAMPUS OF THE CATANDUANES STATE
UNIVERSITY IN THE MUNICIPALITY OF PANDAN, PROVINCE OF
CATANDUANES, TO BE KNOWN AS THE CATANDUANES STATE UNIVERSITY-
PANDAN CAMPUS, AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR

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

SECTION 1. Short Title, — This Act shall be known as the “Catanduanes State
University-Pandan Campus Act”.

SEC. 2. Establishment of the Catanduanes State University-Pandan Campus. - There
is hereby established a regular campus of the Catanduanes State University (CATSU), to be
located in the Municipality of Pandan, Province of Catanduanes, which shall be known as the
“Catanduanes State University-Pandan Campus”: Provided, That upon the effectivity of any
law renaming the Catanduanes State University, the Pandan Campus, as established by virtue
of this Act, shall also be automatically renamed.

SEC. 3. General Mandate. - The CATSU-Pandan Campus shall primarily provide
short-term, technical-vocational, undergraduate, and graduate courses within its areas of
competency and specialization, pursuant to the mandate of the CATSU, and according to its
capability, as the Board of Regents, hereinafter referred to as the Board, may deem necessary
to respond to the human resource development needs of the Province of Catanduanes and the
Bicol Region.

It shall be mandated to undertake research and extension services, and production
activities in support of the socioeconomic development and to provide progressive leadership
in these areas.

SEC. 4, Supervision and Management of the CATSU-Pandan Campus. - The
CATSU-Pandan Campus shall be headed by a Campus Administrator, to be appointed by the
Board, subject to the guidelines, qualifications, and standards set by the Board, and upon the
recommendation of a Search Committee duly constituted for the purpose of selecting the
Campus Administrator.


SEC. 5. Compliance with the Requirements of the Commission on Higher Education
(CHED). - The CATSU shall ensure the compliance of the CATSU-Pandan Campus with the
policies, standards, and guidelines of the CHED for the operation of the Campus, including
those related to the offering of courses and introduction of new or revised courses and programs
prior to its establishment.

SEC. 6. Management of Personnel, Assets, and Record of the Campus. — All assets,
both real and personal, personnel, and records of the CATSU-Pandan Campus, as well as its
liabilities or obligations, shall be titled under or named after the CATSU.

All parcels of land belonging to the government that shall be occupied by the CATSU-
Pandan Campus shall be the property of CATSU and shall be titled under its name: Provided,
That should the campus cease to exist or be abolished or should such aforementioned parcels
of land be no longer needed by the CATSU, the same shall revert to the concerned local
government unit or to the Republic of the Philippines, as the case may be.

SEC. 7. Appropriations. - The amount necessary to carry out the provisions of this
Act, including those required to fund the plantilla positions of teaching and non-teaching
personnel of the CATSU-Pandan Campus, shall be included in the annual General
Appropriations Act.

SEC. 8. Suppletory Application. — The provisions of Republic Act No. 8292, otherwise
known as the “Higher Education Modernization Act of 1997,” shall form part of this Act.

SEC. 9. Implementing Rules and Regulations. — Within sixty (60) days after the
effectivity of this Act, the Board shall, in consultation with the CHED and the Department of
Budget and Management, issue rules and regulations to implement its provisions.

SEC. 10. Separability Clause. — If any part or provision of this Act is declared invalid
or unconstitutional, the remaining provisions or parts hereof shall not be affected and shall
remain in force and in effect.

SEC. 11. Repealing Clause. ~ All laws, presidential decrees, executive orders, letters
of instruction, administrative rules and regulations or parts thereof, which are contrary to or
inconsistent with the provisions of this Act, are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

SEC. 12. Effectivity. — This his Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,