TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session
SENATE
S.B. No.
51
25 jiJL-2 P5 S6
Introduced by SENATOR WIN GATCHALIAN
AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR A THREE-YEAR SPECIALIZATION-FOCUSED COLLEGE 
EDUCATION IN THE PHILIPPINES AND AUTHORIZING THE COMMISSION 
ON HIGHER EDUCATION TO ALLOW FLEXIBILITY TO REDUCE COLLEGE 
ACADEMIC YEARS
EXPLANATORY NOTE
The 1987 Constitution provides 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.1 The State shall 
also establish, maintain, and support a complete, adequate, and integrated 
system of education relevant to the needs of the people and society2 while 
recognizing and promoting academic freedom3 in all higher education 
institutions.
Consistent with such declaration, Philippine higher education 
experienced three major reforms from 2012 to 2021, which include the 
adoption of an outcomes-based typology4 for programs and institutions, the
1 1987 Philippine Constitution, Article XIV, Sec. 1.
2 Id. at Sec. 2 (1).
3 Id. at Sec. 5 (2).
4 CHED Memorandum Order No. 46, s.2012. Policy-Standard to Enhanced Quality Assurance 
(QA) in Philippine Higher Education Through an Outcomes-Based and Typology-Based QA.
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establishment of the Philippine Qualifications Framework (PQF)5 setting 
competency standards, pathways, and equivalencies, and the K to 12 law6, 
which added two years to the country’s basic education cycle.7
The K to 12 law was expected to reduce the number of units8 needed to 
graduate as general education (GE) courses are placed in the basic education 
curriculum.9 The revision is also expected to provide Filipinos with a more 
comprehensive education that emphasizes critical thinking, collaboration, 
and real-world applications of knowledge10 in order to meet the acceptable 
Commission on Higher Education (CHED)-based college readiness 
standards11 and for the global competitiveness of Filipino graduates.12 
However, GE courses are continuously being offered at the college level and 
have remained high over the years, and any reductions thereto were simply 
replaced by more professional courses such that, overall, baccalaureate 
programs in the Philippines remain bloated compared to benchmarks from 
the EU13, Australia, and ASEAN1415
While the K to 12 law brought about the decrease in the number of GE 
courses at the college level,16 where the extent of reduction varies by
5 Republic Act (R.A.) No. 10968 or the “PQF Act”, June 16, 2018.
6 R.A. No. 10533 or the “Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013”, July 23, 2012.
7 Largoza, G.L. and Fernandez, C.G. (2025). Review of CHED Policies, Standards, and 
Guidelines (PSGs) Pre- and Post-K to 12 Reforms. Philippine Institute for Development 
Studies. Discussion Paper Series No. 2025-13.
8 Senate Committee on Education, Arts, and Culture joint with Committee on Ways and 
Means; Committee on Finance; and Committee on Science and Technology. Public Hearing. 
Transcript. February 16, 2012.
9 Ibid.
10 USAID and RTl International. (2025). A Survey of Programs, Standards and Guidelines 
(PSGs) of the 10 Most-Enrolled Undergraduate Programs in the Philippines. A Technical 
Report Commissioned by the Second Congressional Commission on Education of the 
Philippines (EDCOM 11).
11 Supra Note 9.
12 Supra Note 6, at Sec. 5.
13 European Union members are Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech 
Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, 
Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, 
Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden.
14 ASEAN members include Brunei Darussalam, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, 
Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
15 Supra Note 7.
16 CHED Memorandum Order No. 20, s.2013. General Education Curriculum Holistic 
Understandings, Intellectual and Civic Competencies.
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program,17 such decrease was insufficient to significantly shorten the 
duration of college programs.18
This legislation rationalizes the structure of college education and 
enhances the specialization and efficiency in higher education by setting the 
standard duration of any bachelor’s degree program to not more than three 
(3) years, except as otherwise provided by law mandating a longer duration or 
for licensure purposes. The three-year structure for bachelor’s degree 
programs has been widely adopted by countries that signed the Bologna 
Declaration in 1999, which aimed to establish a system of “easily readable 
and comparable degrees19” across European higher education systems. This 
reform was designed to enhance academic mobility, promote international 
recognition of qualifications, and streamline the transition between 
undergraduate and graduate studies.
A majority of signatory countries have implemented the 3+2 model: 
three (3) years for a bachelor’s degree followed by two (2) years for a master’s 
degree. Countries such as Germany, Italy, France, Portugal, Austria, Belgium, 
Finland, and the United Kingdom have institutionalized this structure20. In 
addition, several non-signatory countries, including Australia21, India22, and 
New Zealand23, have also adopted the three-year model for most of their 
undergraduate programs.
17 Senate Committee on Basic Education analysis based on the CHED (2024) data.
18 Ibid.
19 https: / /ehea.info /page-ministerial-conference-bologna-1999
20 https:/ /www.u-eeni.edu.es/en/Degree-Duration-
Countries.shtml#:~:text=3%2Dvears%20Bachelor:%20Belgium%2C%20Finland%2C%20Ital
v%2C%20France%2C%20Iceland%2C%20Switzerland%2C%20the%20United%20Kingdom.
&text=Mixed%20svstems%20(three%20or%204%2Dvears):%20Germanv%2C%20Austria%2
C.Norwav%2C%20Poland%2C%20Portugal%2C%20Slovakia%2C%20Slovenia%2C%20and%
20Spain
21 https:/ / www.studvaustrEilia.gov.au/en/plan-vour-studies/universities-and-higher-
education / undergraduate-qualifications
22 https:/ /iee.com/blog/assessing-indian-education-degrees/
23 https://www2.nzqa.govt.nz/assets/Oualifications-standards/Understanding-
NZOF/NZOF.pdf
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This legislation also authorizes the CHED to allow flexibility for the 
degree programs to be completed in less than three (3) academic years, where 
appropriate, provided that the duration of such degree programs shall be 
determined based on assessed industry needs, international standards or 
benchmarks, and recognized best practices relevant to the specific degree 
program. With this reform, the CHED can ensure that the college degree 
programs will not only be aligned with the evolving sectoral and technological 
trends24 but will also enhance the overall quality and efficiency of higher 
learning.25
Further, this legislation ensures that no abridgment of curricular 
freedom of the individual educational institutions by the CHED shall be made 
except for setting the minimum unit requirements for specific academic 
programs and professional courses as may be stipulated by the various 
licensing entities.
By adopting a three-year specialization-focused college education and 
integrating GE subjects in the K to 12 Basic Education Curriculum, college 
students can focus on professional courses aimed at developing advanced 
competencies in their chosen fields of study. This legislative landmark will 
reform the current system and promote a more focused, high-quality, and 
relevant college education while upholding the academic freedom of higher 
education institutions as guaranteed by the 1987 Constitution. With this, I
earnestly urge this Congress to support and expedite tlm-^assage of this vital
GATC:
24 Supra Note 10.
25 Supra Note 15.


TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session
SENATE
S.B. No.
51
2^ JLl -2 P5 56
li:
Introduced by SENATOR WIN GATCHALIAN
AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR A THREE-YEAR SPECIALIZATION-FOCUSED COLLEGE 
EDUCATION IN THE PHILIPPINES AND AUTHORIZING THE COMMISSION 
ON HIGHER EDUCATION TO ALLOW FLEXIBILITY TO REDUCE COLLEGE 
ACADEMIC YEARS
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled:
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Section 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the “Three-Year College 
Education (3CE) Act. ”
Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is the policy of the State to establish, 
maintain, and support a complete, adequate, and integrated system of 
education that promotes accessible, efficient, and high-quality college 
education that is relevant to the needs of the people and society.
Towards this end, the State shall ensure that college education focuses 
on immediate specialization in the students’ chosen fields of study, following 
the completion of general education courses at the basic education level, 
without infringing on the academic freedom of higher education institutions.
Sec. 3. Definition of Terms. - As used in this Act:


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a. 
Bachelor’s Degree shall refer to the undergraduate academic
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degree conferred by a higher education institution upon completing
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coursework, typically over a span of three to six years, depending on the field
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of study and condition of students.
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b. 
General Education shall refer to the component of the curriculum
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oriented towards broad or wide-ranging understandings and exposes students
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to various domains of knowledge and ways of comprehending social and
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natural realities, developing in the process intellectual competencies such as
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critical, analytical and creative thinking, and multiple forms of expression;
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and civic capacities demanded of membership in the community, country,
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and the world.
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c. 
General Education Courses shall refer to the courses that aim to
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enhance intellectual competencies, personal and civil responsibilities, and
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practical skills. It shall include both core courses and elective courses, which
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may be taught either in English or Filipino.
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d. 
Higher Education Institution shall refer to an institution of higher
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learning, primarily offering bachelor and advanced degree programs.
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e. 
Pro/essionaZ Courses shall refer to the specific courses prescribed
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by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Professional
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Regulation Commission (PRC) required for licensure purposes. As
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distinguished from general education courses, professional courses focus on
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a particular discipline and are directed at more theoretical and technical
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knowledge.
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Sec. 4. Nominal Duration of Bachelor’s Degrees. - The nominal duration
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of any bachelor’s degree program offered by higher education institutions
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shall not exceed three (3) academic years, except as otherwise provided by law
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mandating a longer duration or additional requisites for licensure purposes.
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The CHED shall be authorized to allow flexibility for the degree programs
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to be completed in less than three (3) academic years, where appropriate:
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Provided, that the duration of such degree programs shall be determined
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based on assessed industry needs, international standards or benchmarks,
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and recognized best practices relevant to the specific degree program.
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The college academic years shall be devoted exclusively to professional 
courses aimed at developing advanced competencies in the student's chosen 
field of study. Further, the CHED, in consultation with the PRC, shall issue 
guidelines for the recognition and structuring of applicable exceptions.
Sec. 5. Removal of General Education Courses in the College Curriculum. 
- General education courses shall not be required for the completion of the 
requirements of any bachelor’s degree in higher education institutions.
All requisite general education courses, including those in 
communication, humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, eind 
mathematics, shall be integrated and completed within the Senior High 
School (SHS) Program under the K to 12 Basic Education Curriculum.
The CHED, in coordination with the Department of Education (DepEd), 
shall ensure the alignment of the SHS curriculum with the knowledge base 
required for specialization at the college level to foster critical thinking and 
ensure college readiness of students, provide more time for internship and 
advanced specialization in higher education, enhance the overall efficiency 
and quality of higher learning, and avoid remedial and duplication of basic 
education subjects, consistent with the mandate of Republic Act No. 10533 
or the “Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013”.
Sec. 6. Guarantee of Academic Freedom. - Nothing in this Act shall be 
construed as limiting the academic freedom of higher education institutions. 
In particular, no abridgment of curricular freedom of the individual 
educational institutions by the CHED shall be made except for setting the 
minimum unit requirements for specific academic programs and professional 
courses as may be stipulated by the various licensing entities. Further, no 
academic or curricular restriction shall be made upon private higher 
education institutions which are not similarly imposed on chartered state 
universities and colleges.
Sec. 7. Transitory Provision. - The DepEd and higher education 
institutions shall be given a transition period of three (3) years from the
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effectivity of this Act to redesign and implement their respective curricula in 
accordance herewith.
Sec. 8. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within ninety (90) days 
from the effectivity of this Act, the CHED, in coordination with the DepEd and 
the PRC, shall issue the necessary rules and regulations for its effective 
implementation. The rules and regulations issued pursuant to this section 
shall take effect thirty (30) days after its publication in a newspaper of general 
circulation.
Sec. 9. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part of this Act is 
declared invalid or unconstitutional, the remaining provisions or parts not 
affected shall remain in full force and effect.
Sec. 10. Repealing Clause. - Pertinent provisions of Republic Act No. 
7722 or the “Higher Education Act of 1994”, and all other laws, executive 
orders, presidential decrees, administrative orders, rules and regulations, 
issuances, or parts thereof inconsistent with or contrary to the provisions of 
this Act are hereby repealed or amended accordingly.
Sec. 11. Effectivity. - Notwithstanding the non-issuance of the IRR, this 
Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the Official Gazette 
or in a newspaper of general circulation.
Approved,