.~, I I J r~' >i' 
Eepublic of the Philippines 
SENATE OF THE PHILIPPINES 
]Jasay City 
'17 
~rc 
Flf'TEENTH CONGEESS 
Third Eegular Sesst(;m 
3369 
s. B. No. ___ _ 
i2 iT' :14 
Introduced by HONORABLE EDGARDO J. ANGARA 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The 1987 Constitution mandates the State" to protect and promote the right of all 
citizens to quality education at all levels and to take appropriate steps to make 
education accessible to all." (Art. XIV, Section 1). 
Various international instruments, such as the Universal Declaration of Human 
Rights, International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Eights, and the 
Convention on the I~ights of the Child, to which the Philippines is a signatory, have also 
declared education as a right and not just a privilege. Hence, the country is duty-bound 
to provide free, quality, and accessible education. 
However, considering the rising cost of education, especially college education, 
more and more high school graduates find it impossible to enroll in college and drop 
out and fail to earn a degree. 
Data from the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) showed that enrollees 
111 higher education institutions (HEls) from 2001 to the present have reached 2.56 
million, but the dropout rate reached an alarming 83.7 percent. This means that the 
country is producing 2.13 million college dropouts annually while graduates stand at 
close to 500,000 only. 
CHED records also showed that enrollment in tertiary education has not been 
encouraging as it slowed down from 1999 to 2002, and then dropped gradually starting 
2002 to 2003, with negative 0.8 percent growth in 2004-2005 for both public and private 
schools. Except for the big jump in 1998-1999, enrollment has been sliding down, 
thereafter. Moreover, tertiary education enrollment even in state universities and 
colleges shows a decelerating trend, weakening to negative 1.2 percent growth in 2004-
2005, despite the lower cost of public education. In the case of private schools, the 
decline started as early as 2002. 
Based on the Commission's 2008 data, out of 100 Grade 1 pupils, only 66 finish 
Grade 6 and only 58 of them enroll in first year high school. Of the 58, only 43 finish 
high school. However, only 23 of the 43 who finished high school enroll in college and 
only 14 of the 23 eventually graduate from a college. C 


 
. 
_. 
Also disturbing is the National Statistics and Coordinatiun Board (NSCB) data on 
the ratio of graduates to enrollment for tertiary education, which stands at 16 to less 
than 18 percent from 1994 to 2005. In the past 10 years, the NSCB reported that the total 
number of college graduates increased by an average of only 2.9 percent. The number of 
graduates also increased to only 481,862 in Academic Year 2009-2010 from 363,640 in 
A Y 2000-2001. 
Considering thal more than 26.5 percent or 3.8 million Filipino families are living 
below the poverty line, as reported by the NSCB 2009 Poverty Statistics and released in 
February 2011, access to tertiary education for bright and deserving children of these 
families would be almost impossible, especially if they do not have the means to pay 
even [or an entrance examination, which is the initial step towards admission to a 
college degree program. 
Thus, this bill aims to ensure that poor but deserving high school graduates are 
gIven equal opportunities in applying for college admission to higher education 
institutions by removing the first hindrance at the entry level, such as the prohibitive 
cost of entrance examinations. In addition, this bill will provide that those who may be 
cut off for admission to any HEI will be granted aCHED and/ or DOS1' scholarships, 
provided that academic programs applied to be priority Science and Technology and 
Education Programs. 
In view of the foregoing reasons, immediate approval of this measure is earnestly 
sought. 
~./~ 
EDGARDO J. ANGARA 
Senator 


Republic of the Philippines 
SENATE OF THE PHILIPPINES 
Pasay City 
"! 7 
II '[' <, ') 
,,_ 
,. J 
I L 
FIFTEENTH CONGRESS 
Third Regular SessiGii 
on '14 
I I.: 
. 
,N! 
,.~--~-
Introduced by HONORABLE EDGARDO J. ANGARA 
AN ACT PROVIDING FOR FREE COLLEGE ENTRANCE EXAMINATIONS TO 
UNDERPRIVILEGED PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS BELONGING TO THE 
TOP TEN PERCENT (10%) OF THE GRADUATING CLASS 
Be it ellllcted by tile Sennte nnd HOL/Sf of Representatives of tllC Philippines in Congress 
nssel1zbled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. This Act shall be known as the "Free College Entrance Exam 
Act." 
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. It is hereby declared the policy of the State to 
expand and further democratize access to quality education at the college level by 
instituting mechanisms that protect the rights of underprivileged but bright and 
deserving high school graduates, 
The exemption [rom the imposition of entrance examination fees is one such 
mechanism that will ensure that underprivileged, but bright and deserving high school 
graduates, are given adequate assistance and equal opportunity to pursue their dreams 
of obtaining a college education. 
SECTION 3. Definition of Ter111s. For Purposes of this Act, the following terms shall 
mean: 
a) College Enlmnce Exnlllillillions - shall refer to examinations required by higher 
education institutions on graduating high school students or high school 
graduates as one of the criteria for determining admission to a four-year or five-
year college degree program in the said el~ucational institutions; 
b) Underprivileged Public High Scl/Ool Gmduntes - shall refer to public high school 
students who belong to the top ten percent o[ the graduating class and whose 
parents live below the poverty line or belong to the poorest of the poor as 
determined by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) and 
who are the qualified beneficiaries of lhis Act; 


c) Higher EdllClliloll lusll/Illion (i-IE/) - shall refer to an educational institution that is 
legally authorized to offer a program of education leading to the conferment of a 
degree. 
SECTION 4. Coverage. This Act shall apply to all public and private J-IEls offering 
degree programs, including IOCiol 
colleges and universities, and shaH 
cover 
underprivileged public high school stuuents grauuating or who have graduated at the 
top ten percent of the class and intending to apply for admission in any public or 
private HEI in the country for a degree program. 
SECTION 5. Qualification Requirements oj Free College Entrance Examinations 
Beneficiary. A student beneficiary eligible under this Act shall have the following entry 
requirements: 
a) Must be a natural-born Filipino citizen; 
b) Must be a graduating high school student or high school graduate from a public 
or private high school and intends to enroll in any public or private HEI; 
c) Must belong to the top 10% of the graduating class; and 
d) Must have parents or guardians living below the poverty line as determined by 
the NED A. 
Those who may be cut off for admission to any HEI shall be granted scholarships 
by the Commission on Higher Education or the Department of Science and Technology; 
Provided thilt, the academic programs applied to are priority Science and Technology 
and Education Programs. 
SECTION 6. Pellalties. Any HEI official or employee and other concerned individuals 
found guilty of violating the proVIsions of this Act shall suffer the penalty of PI'lSIOI1 
correccionni or imprisonment from six (6) months and one (1) day to six (6) years or a 
fine of Seven Hundred Fifty Thousand Pesos (P750,000.00). 
In addition, the Commission on Higher Education (CI-IED) may impose administrative 
and disciplinary sanctions against HEI and any HEI official or employee violating the 
provisions of this Act pursuant to Section ]3 of Republic Act No. 7722, otherwise 
known as the Higher Education Modernization Act of 1994. 
SECTION 7. Impleme1lti1lg Rules ami Regulations. The CHED, in coordination with the 
Department of Education (DepEd), Department of Science and Technology (DOST), 
Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges (PASUC), the Coordinating 
Council of Private Educational Associations (COCOPEA), and the Association of Local 
Colleges and Universities (ALCU), shall issue the necessary rules and regulations for 
the effective implementation of this Act. 
SECTION 8. Separability Clause. If any provlSlon of this Act is declared 
unconstitutional or invalid, the other sections or provisions not otherwise affected shall 
continue to be full force and effect. 
SECTION 9. Repealing Clause. All laws, executive orders, decrees, instructions, rules 
and regulations contrary to or inconsistent with any provision of this Act are hereby 
amended, repealed ur modified accordingl\'. 


SECTION 10. Effectivity Clause. This Act shull take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved,