THIRTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
INTRODUCED BY HON. MANUEL B. VILLAR, JR. 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The 1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines provides that the State shall 
establish and maintain a system of scholarship grants, student loan programs, subsidize and other 
incentives which shall be available to deserving students in both public and private schools, 
especially to the underprivileged. (Sec. 2 (3), Art. XIV) 
It will be noted that there are existing scholarship programs for the specially gifted 
students; a study grant for members of the National Cultural Communities, and the 
study-now-pay-later plan for deserving but poor students. However, such programs provide only 
limited slots. 
To date, there is no ambitious government program that takes care of the mass of 
secondary level graduates who want to pursue higher education but fail to do so due to poverty or 
financial difficulties. 
For this reason, this bill on student financial assistance program is being conceived and 
proposed to provide educational assistance to secondary graduates who, because of poverty or 
financial difficulties, could not pursue higher education. This educational assistance program is 
designated for students of financially disadvantaged families and is intended more as an 
economic aid rather than a merit award. 
The proposed bill, which is supportive of the Constitutional mandate, appropriates a sum 
of P350,000,000 to initially underwrite the educational cost of an estimated thirty-five thousand 
(35,000) students under this student financial assistance program. 
In view of the foregoing, the early approval off this bill is requested. 
n 
MANUEL B. VI LAR, JR. 
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S. No. 
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INTRODUCED BY HON. MANUEL B. VILLAR, JR. 
AN ACT ESTABLISHING A STUDENT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM FOR 
STUDENTS OF ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED FAMILIES AND 
AUTHORIZING THE APPROPRIATION OF FUNDS FOR THE PURPOSE 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
SECTION. 1. There shall be established a student financial assistance program in the 
collegiate level for poor but deserving students to be administered by an appropriate body to be 
determined, by the Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS). 
SEC. 2. The term "economically disadvantaged but deserving students" who are 
qualified under this program shall mean those students of underprivileged families falling below 
the poverty line as determined by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) 
who have the ability to continue and finish a degree course. 
SEC. 3. The beneficiaries under this program shall be entitled to a reasonable monthly 
stipend depending on costs of living in a particular educational institution, free tuition, book 
allowance and other miscellaneous fees to be determined y the administering agency: 
SEC. 4. The sum of Three Hundred Fifty Million Pesos (P350,000,000.00) is 
hereby 
authorized to be appropriated initially out of the finds in the National Treasury not otherwise 
appropriated to finance this program. Such other amounts as may be necessary to continue the 
program shall be sourced in succeeding budgetary appropriations. 
SEC. 5. The Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS) is hereby authorized 
to formulate the rules and regulations to implement this Act. 
SEC. 6. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in two (2) 
newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved,