SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
) 
) 
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SENATE 
S. B. No. -42.8 
'13 Jill -4 
1\ 8 :05 
Introduced by Senator FRANCIS G. ESCUDERO 
r' ' 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Philippine educational system has been undergoing innovative 
transformation and restructuring to improve the quality of education and quality of 
graduates in the elementary, secondary and tertiary levels as means to promote national 
development and global competitiveness. Present condition indicates that a small 
percentage of college graduates successfully find appropriate employment perfectly 
suited for their respective courses. This has resulted to unemployment and over supply 
of college g,aduates in white collar jobs and shortages in skilled manpower. Moreover, 
recent res*lts of professional examinations consistently yielded small percentage of 
successful examinees. This is further aggravated by the continuous exodus and 
migration of our professionals seeking employment and high paying jobs in other 
countries. 
To address this pressing and urgent predicament, there is a need to 
institutionalize a mechanism which will check, screen and monitor the flow of 
secondary gradlJ.ates to post-secondary learning institutions to promote national 
development and global competitiveness. In this light, the National Career Assessment 
Examination (NCAE) will act as an instrument to maintain a viable balance among the 
number of white collar employees, skilled manpower and entrepreneurs through a 
provision of career direction to secondary graduates. 
The bill shall provide a redirection of skills development program in the tertiary 
level specifically aimed at harmonizing and matching the supply coming from post-
secondary institution with that of the demand of the country's employment market. It 
shall address the evident need to institutionalize a career direction program for 
secondary graduates which would assess the individual's potential to; enter a four-year 
degree program, take technical/vocational course or embark into entrepreneurship. 
Finally, it shall answer the pressing and apparent need to prepare high school 
graduates for national development and global competitiveness. 
In view of the foregoing reasons, the approval of this bill is earnestly sought. 
FRANCIS G. ESCUDERO 


, 
, , 
i 
. , 
SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
) 
) 
) 
SENATE 
Introduced by Senator FRANCIS G. ESCUDERO 
~i~'c 
, 
AN ACT 
e 
~'f'rt,ntr 
{~Hlir of tlil"~~"··:fl'by~ 
"13 
JUL -4 f'.8 :f)S 
CREATING 
A 
NATIONAL CAREER ASSESSMENT EXAMINATION TO 
INSTITUTIONALIZE A CAREER DIRECTION PROGRAM FOR SECONDARY 
GRADUATES, DEFINING ITS SCOPE AND FUNCTIONS AND FOR OTHER 
PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
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Sec. 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "National Career 
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Assessment Examination Act" . 
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Section 2. Nature and Scope - There is hereby instituted a National Career 
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Assessment Examination (NCAE) which is a system of assessing or evaluating the 
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potential or aptitude of each and every high school graduate to pursue a four- or five-
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year college degree course, a technological/vocational course, or an entrepreneurial 
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course. 
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It aims to maintain the highest quality of education in the Philippines by 
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regulating and monitoring the flow of high school graduates to said courses where they 
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have bette~ aptitude or potential. 
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Section 3. Declaration of Policy - It is hereby declared as the policy of the State 
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to maintain the highest quality of education for purposes of national development and 
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to respect the right of every citizen to select of profession or course of study, subject to 
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fair, reasonable, and equitable admission and academic requirements. 
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It is further declared that secondary education must give emphasis to the 
development of different aptitude and interests of the students so as to equipped them 
with knowledge and skills that will enable them to become useful, productive and 
gainfully employed members of the society. 
Furthermore, it is hereby declared that an assessment of the career aptitude of 
high school graduates shall be made to guide them to take up courses in colleges, 
universities, vocational or technological institutions where their potentials will be best 
developed and where their training and! or education will be needed for national 
development. 
Section 4. Purposes and Objectives - This Act shall have the following purpose 
and objectives: 
1. To guarantee protection and promotion of the right of all citizens to quality 
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,ducation at all levels; 
2. To provide fair, reasonable and equitable admission and academic 
requirements; 
3. To reduce wastage in education arising from dropping out, non completion 
and / or low performing of students in colleges and universities and 
decreasing percentage of successful examinees in professional licensure 
examinations; 
4. To assess the academic, technical and vocational aptitudes of high school 
graduates in order to facilitate and rationalize their placement in degree and 
non-degree courses as the case may be; 
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5. To attain excellence in education within the context of national development, 
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to open more job opportunities to our labor force and: to properly utilize their 
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productive potentials. 
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Section 5. Scope of Examination - Beginning School Year 2014 - 2015 and every 
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year thereafter, all high school graduates seeking admission to any post-secondary 
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degree or non-degree course, or a technological/vocational course or to be an 
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entrepreneur shall henceforth be required to undergo a National Career Assessment 
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Examination (NCAE). 
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The results of the test for each examinee shall serve as a guide for him / her as to 
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which degree or non-degree course or career to take up after high school. Such test 
, 
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results shall serve as a prerequisite for enrolment by all high school graduates to any 
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post-secondary degree or non-degree course or a technological/vocational course or 
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entrepreneurial course. The test results which indicate the skill / aptitude to which a 
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student may aptly succeed shall be one of the basis of his / her enrolment in a tertiary 
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course. 
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Section 6. Test Administration - The Department of Education shall conduct an 
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annual NCAE through the National Education Testing and Research Center (NETRC) to 
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carry out the provisions of this Act. 
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Section 7. Powers and Duties of the Secretary - To carry out the purposes and 
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objectives of the NCAE, the Secretary of Education is hereby vested with the following 
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authority: 
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1. 
To conduct an annual NCAE through the National Education Testing and 
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Research Center (NETRC) in order to promote and implement a program that 
assesses and evaluates the potential or aptitude of each and every high school 
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graduate to 
pursue a four-
or five-year college degree course, a 
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technological/vocational course, or a short entrepreneurial course; 
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2. 
To determine the method, form and content, both the test and the process of 
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checking and evaluating its results, as well as to fix the date and place(s) of 
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examination; 
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3. 
To enter, when desirable or necessary, into agreements or contracts with 
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qualified persons, institutions, organizations, government agencies, entities and 
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establishments to make payments incidental to such agreements or contracts, to 
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carry out the purposes and objectives of this Act; 
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4. 
To determine as the exigencies or national interest may dictate, exemptions from 
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the provisions of this Act; and 
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5. 
To do such other acts as may be proper and necessary in order to achieve the 
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policies of the NCAE. 
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Section 8. Content of Examination -
The National Career Assessment 
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Examination (NCAE) shall measure the following aptitudes and skills of high school 
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graduates to wit: 
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A. General Scholastic Aptitnde 
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1. Scientific Ability- This is an assessment of the individual's scientific 
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abilities and skills to adopt scientific methods, procedures and processes 
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in constructing knowledge and solving experimental or real-life problems. 
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2. Reading Comprehension - This measures the ability to understand what 
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has been stated directly; to analyze, interpret, and criticize what has been 
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read; to recognize reasonable application of principles or opinions 
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expressed by the author. 
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3. Verbal Ability - This subtest measures the assertive ability of a person in 
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view of grammatical rules and logical arrangement of ideas. 
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4. Mathematical Ability - The subtest is used to assess quantitative abilities 
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. and computational skills, particularly on working with numbers, 
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perceiving relationship between two (2) quantities and solving arithmetic 
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problems. 
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B. Technical-Vocational Aptitude 
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1. Manipulative Skills -
This subtest measures abilities that require 
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perceptual and visual judgment in determining figures, symbols, patterns, 
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and nature of space as well as skills in mentally manipulating objects and 
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concrete materials. 
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2. Clerical Ability -
This is a test of ability and skill to encode 
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datal information and file office records, and ability to note details. 
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3. Entrepreneurial Skills - This is a test to assess one's capacity to engage in 
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business undertakings. 
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4. Non Verbal Ability - This tests a person's reasoning ability to identify 
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patterns presented in diagrammatic form. 
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5. Occupational Fields of Interest 
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C. OccupaIional Fields of Interest 
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1. Outdoor Interests - This means that one will enjoy working with 
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naturalistic environment such as plants and animals. 
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2. Mechanical Interests - This means that one will enjoy working with real-
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world materials. 
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3. Investigative Interests - This means that one will enjoy activities which 
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require mental work or using thinking skills. 
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4. Artistic Interests - This means that one will enjoy activities that look at the 
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artistic side of things such as forms, designs and patterns. 
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5. Social Interests - This means that one will enjoy with work activities that 
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assist other people and promote learning and personal development. 
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6. Enterprising Interests - This means that one will like activities that have 
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something to do with carrying out a project especially on business 
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ventures. 
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'7. Clerical Interests - This means that one will enjoy work activities that 
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follow set of procedures and routines. 
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Section 9. Rules and Regulations - The Secretary of Education shall within sixty 
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(60) days from the effectivity of this Act, promulgate such rules and regulations as may 
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be necessary for_ its implementation. Provided, that the full implementation of the 
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program be initiated for high school graduates of School Year 2010-2011. 
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Said rules and regulations shall take effect fifteen (15) days following its 
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publication in the Official Gazette or in one newspaper of general circulation. 
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Section 10. Implementing Agencies - The Commission on Higher Education 
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(CHED) and Technical Education Skills Development Authority (TESDA) shall 
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implement a program in accordance with the NCAE results, as follows; 
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1. To promote prudent and economic use of government funds, the CHED shall 
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utilize the results of NCAE as basis for the selection of grantees for its 
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scholarship program 
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2. To further promote manpower skills development program, TESDA and 
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CHED shall adopt an educational program attuned with the NCAE result; 
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and 
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3. To set the cut-off score for the various courses of CHED and TESDA though 
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their Technical Panels. 
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Section 11. Examination Centers and Date of Examination - Unless otherwise 
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previously/ announced, the National Career Assessment Examination (NCAE) shall be 
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administeried throughout the country on the last Wednesday of August of every year, in 
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the place where the Provincial or City Division Office is located; provided, however that 
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additional examination centers may be established in the province as may be 
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determined by the Division Examination Committee and approved by the Secretary of 
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Education. 
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Section 12. Processing of the Examination Results - The processing of the 
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examination result shall be in the National Capital Region through the NETRC. 
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Section 13. Notices - The notice and certification shall be issued under the 
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following circumstances: 
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1. The certificate of ratings of examinees in the National Career Assessment 
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Examination (NCAE) shall be issued each year by the Secretary of Education 
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through the NETRC 
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2. Each examinee will be given a Certificate of Rating indicating his/her rating 
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in the domains of the NCAE. 
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3. A consolidated masterlist of the names of examinees may be made available 
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in the Division Office concerned. 
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4. Questions relating to the results of the NCAE may be verified from the 
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masterlist in the Office mentioned in the preceding paragraph and/ or to the 
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NETRC 
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~ssuance of a second copy of the NCAE Certificate of Rating can be requested 
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from NETRC 
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Section 14. Limitations - Results of the National Career Assessment Examination 
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(NCAE) shall nQt automatically entitle a student for admission into any particular 
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academic or professional course in a higher learning institution which impose its own 
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entrance examination as a requirement for admission. 
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Institutional results of the NCAE should not be used for any other purposes 
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except for career guidance, e.g. ranking and advertisement of schools. 
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Section 15. Appropriation - To carry out the provisions of this Act, the sum of 
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Twenty-Million Pesos is hereby annually appropriated as part of the appropriation of 
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the Department of Education out of any funds in the National Treasury not otherwise 
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appropriated. 
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Section 16. Miscellaneous Provisions -
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1. Any official, employee or teacher who violates or causes the violation of the 
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provisions of this Act, or commits or causes to commit any acts of dishonesty 
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or misconduct related to the performance of his/her duties in the 
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· . 
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administration of the National Career Assessment Examination shall be 
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administratively dealt with in accordance with existing Civil Service laws, 
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rules and regulations 
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2. Students who commit or cause the commission of any act of dishonesty or 
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~isconduct concerning their application to, or in taking the National Career 
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Assessment Examination shall be barred from further taking the same and the 
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correction of their examination papers withheld, without prejudice to any 
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diSciplinary administrative action that may be taken against them in 
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accordance with existing rules and regulations of the Department of 
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Education. 
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3. The Secretary of Education may issue from time to time supplementary 
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instructions or directions and/or amendments to any provisions of the rules 
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and regulations implementing this Act as he may deem proper and necessary. 
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Section 17. Separability Clause - If for any reason, a portion or provision of this 
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Act shall be declared unconstitutional, other parts or provisions hereof which are not 
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affected thereby shall be continue to be in full force and effect. 
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Section 18. Repealing Clause - All laws, decrees, rules and regulations or parts 
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thereof inconsistent with the provision of this Act are hereby repealed, amended or 
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modified accordingly. 
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Section 19. Effectivity - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days following its 
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publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
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Approved, 
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