Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City
NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session
Hous`e.`Bi|`|-No.6908
Introduced by Representative
GERVILLE ``JINKY BITRICS" R. LUISTRO
EXPLANATORY NOTE
The 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.
While  primary,   secondary,  and   higher  education   is  free   in   all   public
schools and State Universities and Colleges, it is still essential to ensure that all
students have the wherewithal to meet the necessary and incidental expenses
in  pursuing  their  education.  It  is  furthermore  indispensable  to  instill  in  the
consciousness of the youth the utmost significance of education  regardless of
their socio-economic status. Accordingly, the State should provide incentives to
students to be enrolled in school and pursue their education.
This  measure  intends  to  establish  a  Universal   Educational  Assistance
Program   in  order  to  provide  assistance  and   incentives  to  all   Filipino  pre-
elementary,  primary, secondary, and tertiary students enrolled  in  institutions,
public and private, accredited and supervised by the Department of Education
and Commission on Higher Education. Toward this end, all students, regardless
of socio-economic class, are entitled to receive cash assistance and incentives
per academic year.
As a condition to receive the benefits of this bill, students are required to
enroll  and  attend  at  least  eighty  percent  (80%)  of  their  mandated  classes.
Through this measure, economic and social progress will be attained by having
an informed and educated citizenry.
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`             Undersigned earnestly
this proposed measure.
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Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City
Nineteenth Congress
First Regular Session
House`:i|:No.   6908
Introduced by:
Repre sentative Gerville "Jinky Bitrics" Reyes-Luistro
AN ACT PROVIDING FOR UNIVERSAL EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE
TO ALL PEE-ELEMENTART, PRIMARY, SECONDARY, TERTIARY
STUDENTS IN THE PHILIPPINES
Section   1.  Short  Title.  -  This  Act  shall  be  known  as  the  "Universal
Educational Assistance to Pre-Elementary, Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary
Students Act of 2023."
Section  2.  Declaration  of Policy.  - The  State  recognizes  the right  of its
citizens  to  quality  education  and  its  corresponding  obligation  to  provide
students with the utmost assistance to complete their education. Therefore,
the  State  shall undertake  steps  to  extend  financial  assistance  to  all  pre-
elementary, primary, secondary, and tertiary students.
Section  3.    Universal  Educational Assistance.  -  "Universal  Educational
Assistance" refers to the financial assistance that the State grants to cover
the  necessary  expenses  for  food,  transportation,  and  lodging  that  pre-
elementary, primary, secondary, and tertiary students incur while studying.
Section 4. Free Unlver8al Educational Aeal&t&nce. - All Filipino students
shall be entitled to receive, per academic year, the following cash assistance
and incentives from the state:
a.)       Pre-elementary students -ONE THOUSAND PESOS (Php 1,000);
b.)       Elementary students -TWO THOUSAND PESOS (Php 2,000);
c.)       Junior Hich students -THREE THOUSAND PESOS (Php 3,000);
d.)       Senior Hith students -FOUR THOUSAND PESOS (Php 4,000);
e.)       College students -FIVE THOUSAND PESOS (Php 5,000).
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Section  5.  Periodic  Assessment  and  Adjustment  of  the  Amount  of
Assistance - The amounts indicated in the preceding section shall be made
available  to  the  student  beneficiary  for  the  first  two   (2)  years   of  the
implementation of this Act. Thereafter, when necessary, the President upon
consultation  with  the  Department  of Education  (DepEd),  Commission  on
Higher Education  (CHED),  Department of Budget and Management  (DBM),
and Department of Finance (DOF`), shall make the necessary adjustments in
the amount of assistance taking into account the prevailing inflation rates
and other relevant economic indicators.
Section 6.  Universal Grant. - The educational assistance provided in this
Act  shall  be  universally  granted  to  all  F`ilipino  pre-elementary,  primary,
secondary, and tertiary students regardless of economic class.
Section  7.  Condition  for  Continuing  Entitlement.  -  AIL  Filipino  pre-
elementary, primary, secondary, and tertiary students are entitled to receive
the  financial  assistance  granted  by  this  act  provided  that  they  are  duly
enrolled   in   educational  institutions   and   are   actually  attending  eighty
percent (80%) of their Classes in a given school year.
Section  8.  Nan-compliance  with  Condition  for  Entitlement-  Filipino
students who  intentionally and without reasonable  cause,  dropped  out of
classes, or failed to actually attend 80% of their mandated classes,  shall be
disqualified to receive the benefits of this Act.
Section  9.  Mode  of Cash  Transfer.  -  The  Assistance  shall  be  released
monthly via electronic cash transfer directly and in the name of the father,
mother  or  guardian  of the  student  beneficiary.    In  case  electronic  cash
transfer is  not feasible,  the DepEd and CHED  shall be directed  to provide
beneficiaries with direct and secured access to financial assistance through
any number of Authorized Government Depository Banks.
Section  10. Lead Agencies - lead Agenc/.es.   - The DepEd and the CHED
shall   serve   as   the   central   planning,   coordinating,   implementing,   and
monitoring body.
In  the  implementation  of this  Act,  the  DepEd  and  CHED  shall  have  the
followhg functions :
(a) Conduct seminar-workshop and training programs in order to ensure
awareness of the conditions and other actions relevant to this Act;
(b) Coordinate   with   different   national   and   local   agencies,   including
organizations from the private sector to ensure full implementation of
herein statutory commitments ;
(c) Set  up  monitoring  and  evaluation  systems  and  methodologies  on
compliance  of conditions,  implementation  of guidelines,  and  output
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and  impact  assessments.  It  shall  also  coordinate  with  the  Advisory
`          and  Monitoring  Committees  at the  national,  regional  and  municipal
levels  to  verify  compliance  once  a  month  using the  monitoring and
evaluation systems designed for the purpose;
(d) Conduct periodic  studies  concerning the  strengthening of guidelines
implementation,  fine-tuning of targeting,  and expansion of coverage,
oversight, and controls;
(e) Recommend to the President measures and policies for the responsive
implementation of the commitments under this Act;
(f)  Submit an annual report to Congress including, but not limited to, all
aspects  of its  operations,  financial  status,  and  other  relevant  data;
and
(g) Perform such other functions as may be necessary and/or incidental
to the proper enforcement of the  statutory commitments under this
Act.
Section  11.  Approprlatlons  -  The  amount  necessary  to  carry  out  the
provisions   of  this   Act   shall  be   included   in  the   budget   of  concerned
government  agencies  in  the  General  Appropriations  Act  (CIAA)  of the year
following its enactment into law and thereafter.
Section   12.  Implementlng  Rules  and  Reguhation&.  -  An  interageney
committee  headed  by  the  DBM,  in  coordination  with  DepEd,  CHED,  and
TESDA is  hereby created which  shall promulgate within  ninety  (90)  days,
upon the effectivity of this Act, the implementing rules and regulations.
Section 13. Penaltle8. -In addition to liability for the crimes of estafa, theft,
and similar offenses, the beneficiary who fraudulently abuses the benefit of
the Act shall be obliged to reimburse the amount received with the interest
of one (1%) percent every month.
Section   14.   Repealing   Clause   -   AIl   laws,   decrees,   executive   orders,
administrative  orders,  or parts  thereof inconsistent with  the  provisions  of
this Act are hereby repealed, amended, or modified accordingly.
Section 15. Separablllty Clause - If any provision of this Act is held invalid
or unconstitutional, other provisions not affected thereby shall continue to
be in full force and effect.
Section 16.  Effectlwlty Clause. -This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days
following its complete publication in the Oj7jjic#.a! Cidzette or in at least two (2)
newspapers of general circulation.
APPROVED.
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