Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH (19th) CONGRESS 
 Second Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. _____ 
Introduced by Hon. WILTER YAP PALMA 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
This bill seeks to establish a Provincial Technical Education and Skills 
Development Authority (TESDA) Training and Assessment Center in the 
Municipality of Buug, Province of Zamboanga Sibugay.  
The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), by virtue 
of the Technical Education and Skills Development Act of 1994, is the premiere 
governmental agency tasked to manage and supervise technical education and 
skills development in the Philippines. As a result, TESDA has served as the pillar for 
providing relevant, accessible, high-quality, and efficient skills education and skills 
development in support of the development of high-quality Filipino middle-level 
manpower. In response to the country’s urgent need to develop fully integrated 
technical education and skills development policy plans and programs, TESDA 
Training and Assessment Centers were established throughout the country to 
attain international competitiveness with the end goal of providing better 
opportunities for the Filipino People. This has allowed provinces to fast-track the 
creation of job opportunities by enhancing the skill levels of laborers, which are 
crucial for professional and economic development. Nevertheless, some provinces, 
like Zamboanga Sibugay, still lack the necessary training centers to meet the urgent 
needs of their people. 
In light of this, it is essential to emphasize the importance of establishing a 
Training and Assessment Center in the Municipality of Buug, Province of 
Zamboanga Sibugay. This is crucial for achieving substantial growth, especially in 
key sectors within the province such as agriculture and fisheries, by providing 
October 16, 2023
10:52 am
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accessible and affordable training. Furthermore, the establishment of a provincial 
training facility would not only be a significant step toward reducing the rising 
unemployment rate in the province by equipping interested students with essential 
entrepreneurial skills and knowledge, but it would also address the growing 
demand from students interested in participating in such a program. 
  
  
           Given the foregoing, the immediate passage of this bill is earnestly sought.  
  
 
 
 
 
WILTER YAP PALMA 
Representative  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
1st District, Zamboanga Sibugay 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Philippines 
NINETEENTH (19th) CONGRESS 
Second Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. _____ 
Introduced by HON. WILTER YAP PALMA 
AN ACT 
ESTABLISHING A PROVINCIAL TECHNICAL EDUCATION AND SKILLS 
DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY (TESDA) TRAINING AND ASSESSMENT CENTER IN 
THE MUNICIPALITY OF BUUG, PROVINCE OF ZAMBOANGA SIBUGAY, AND 
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. – This Act shall be known as the “Zamboanga Sibugay 
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Provincial Training and Assessment Center Act”. 
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SEC 2. Establishment. – There is hereby established a Technical Education 
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and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Provincial Training and Assessment 
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Center in the Municipality of Buug, Province of Zamboanga Sibugay, under the 
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supervision of TESDA, to be known as the Zamboanga Sibugay Provincial TESDA 
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Training and Assessment Center. The Center shall be established in a strategic 
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location within the Municipality of Buug, Province of Zamboanga Sibugay, pursuant 
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to the purposes of this Act and to the mutual agreement between TESDA and the 
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concerned local government unit. 
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SEC 3. General Mandate. – The Zamboanga Sibugay Provincial TESDA 
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Training and Assessment Center, hereinafter referred to as the Center, shall 
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primarily provide relevant and quality technical-vocational education and training 
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(TVET), including practical short-term specialty courses and one (1) year to three 
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(3) year TESDA-registered technical-vocational skills training programs and 
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certificate courses, to out-of-school youths, high school students and graduates, 
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unemployed and underemployed adults, workers in the informal sector, persons 
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with disabilities and ethnic indigenous people, and residents from low-income 
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families in the Municipality of Buug and adjacent municipalities in the Province of 
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Zamboanga Sibugay.  
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The Center shall play a pivotal role in helping the residents become 
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productive, self-reliant, and to develop into competitive middle to high-level skilled 
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labor force so as to has to hasten the social and economic development of 
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Zamboanga Sibugay, as well as meet the needs of both local and international labor 
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markets. The Center shall consider, in the design of relevant TVET programs to be 
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offered therein, the preferred skills categories based on identified development 
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targets to propel the province to becoming a skilled human resource and economic 
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productivity hub. 
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The Center shall also serve as the TESDA-accredited Assessment Center for 
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acquired competencies in technical-vocational skills in the Province of Zamboanga 
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Sibugay. 
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The Center, in coordination with the Department of Education (DepEd) and 
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the TESDA, shall offer relevant teachers’ training assistance and curriculum design 
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to the secondary schools providing the technical-vocational livelihood (TVL) track 
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under the K to 12 Program of the DepEd in the Municipality of Buug and 
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neighboring localities in the Province of Zamboanga Sibugay.  
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SEC 4. Curricular Offerings/Training Programs. – The Center, in consultation 
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with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Department of Trade and 
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Industry (DTI), Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of the Interior and 
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Local Government (DILG), Department of Science and Technology (DOST), National 
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Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), locally and internationally-based 
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business industry partners, and other relevant agencies, shall offer diverse short-
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term certificate courses and modular trainings in relevant technical-vocational 
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skills and trade specialization to comply with employment standards in preferred 
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and emerging market-driven labor opportunities. The Center shall spearhead 
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training programs in new skills to respond to market trends towards attaining a 
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robust inclusive economy in the host sites and in the adjacent localities and 
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communities in the Province of Zamboanga Sibugay.  
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The Center may establish research and technology hubs, technology 
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development farms, mobile training programs, and satellite or extension training 
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centers in priority areas throughout the Municipality of Buug and neighboring 
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localities in the Province of Zamboanga Sibugay to serve the manpower needs of 
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the area and strengthen the linkages among the industry, the academe, and the 
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Center.  
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The Center shall offer the following TESDA-registered technical-vocational 
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training programs with competencies assessment leading to National Certification 
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Levels I-III to increase the livelihood assets and competitive productivity of the 
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Municipality of Buug, and the neighboring localities in the Province of Zamboanga 
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Sibugay:  
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a. Skills training in industrial technology and hard trades such as metal and 
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steel works, machine fabrication and operation, heavy equipment 
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operation, automotive mechanic, refrigeration and air conditioning, 
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electronics, and operation of power tools and equipment for both 
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medium skills grade and industrial purposes; 
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b. Agriculture and aquaculture-related training and skills development in 
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areas such as farming-fishing operations technology, backyard farming 
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and home-based aquaculture and propagation innovation, mechanized 
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farm and fishing tools and equipment operation, agribusiness, agri-aqua 
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trade technology and innovation, and relevant farmers’ and fisher folk’s 
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continuing training for increased productivity and entrepreneurship; 
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c. Social communication skills development, language proficiency courses in 
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English and other languages for business process outsourcing (call center) 
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employment and overseas job placement;  
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d. Livelihood skills development courses for preferred skills employment 
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and small-scale entrepreneurship (including practical skills education in 
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crafts and arts), workmanship and designing (such as fabric, woodworks, 
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jewelry, and metal works), high-speed sewing, dressmaking, and tailoring, 
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agriculture and farm technology, horticulture, livestock raising and 
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breeding, food processing technology, home technology, culinary arts 
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and commercial cooking (including baking), beauty culture (such as 
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cosmetology, hair and nail styling) and health and wellness training;  
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e. Basic business literacy training in financial management and marketing, 
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practical accountancy, bookkeeping and office procedures, business 
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processes and application procedures including registration, licensing, 
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documentation, business patent and intellectual property regulation, 
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business financing and investment opportunities sourcing, import-export 
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accreditation, including online home-based business operation and use of 
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social media business marketing;  
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f. Technical-vocational occupation and trade skills such as carpentry, 
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masonry, plumbing, welding, practical electricity and installation, 
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automotive servicing, electronics servicing, personal computer servicing, 
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and other relevant practical skills courses;  
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g. Computer literacy and information technology (IT)-related skills, digital 
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technology, web design, animation, photoshop/online photography, 
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computer design and advertising;  
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h. Seminars in personality development, career counseling and job 
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placement, and work ethics and values; and 
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i. Other preferred priority skills and trade trainings that may be utilized by 
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the people of the Province of Zamboanga Sibugay for practical livelihood, 
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gainful employment, and entrepreneurial activities.  
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SEC 5. Compliance with TESDA Requirements. – The provisions of this Act 
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notwithstanding, the Center established herein shall become operationally 
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effective only upon the determination and declaration of the TESDA, through the 
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issuance of a formal recommendation and certificate of compliance that the Center 
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has satisfactorily complied with the minimum requirements for quality standards 
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prescribed by TESDA governing the following competency assessment: (a) standard 
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procedures and guidelines (SPGs) for the establishment and operation of a TESDA-
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accredited provincial training and competency assessment center; (b) operational 
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sustainability of the Center established herein, such as licensed faculty-trainers and 
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personnel, equipment, training, and laboratory facilities, instructional materials, 
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and sustainable funding source for the budgetary requirement of the Center herein 
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established; (c) assurance that the training programs offered are fully aligned with 
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the minimum standards of competency-based quality technical-vocational skills 
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technology and the needs of host locality and the adjacent communities within the 
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service area of the Center; (d) program alignment and benchmarking in the context 
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of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) framework and the PQF for 
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TVET; and (e) compliance with other TESDA conditionality and standards in 
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establishing a TESDA-accredited training assessment center, as may be necessary.  
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SEC. 6. Administration. – The Center shall be headed by a Technical-
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Vocational Administrator under the supervision of the TESDA. The Technical-
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Vocational Administrator shall hold the appropriate position title and rank under 
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existing TESDA staffing pattern, and who shall be appointed by the TESDA Director-
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General in accordance with civil service rules and regulations and the qualification 
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requirements of the TESDA. 
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The Technical-Vocational Administrator shall render full-time services and 
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shall be responsible for the administration and operation of the Provincial TESDA 
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Training and Assessment Center.  
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SEC. 7. Appropriations. – The Director-General of the TESDA shall include in 
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the Authority’s program the implementation of this Act, the funding of which shall 
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be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.  
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SEC. 8. Implementing Rules and Regulations. – Within sixty (60) days after 
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the effectivity of this Act, the TESDA, in coordination with the DOLE, DTI, DA, 
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Department of Budget and Management (DBM), DILG, DOST, NEDA, the concerned 
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LGUs, and such other relevant agencies and industry-business partners of the host 
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localities, and the provincial government shall formulate and issue the necessary 
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rules and regulations for the implementation of this Act.  
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SEC. 9. Separability Clause. – If, for any reason, any section of this Act shall 
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be deemed unconstitutional or invalid, the other sections or provisions hereof shall 
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not be affected and shall thereby remain in force and effect.  
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SEC. 10. Repealing Clause. – All laws, executive orders, decrees, instructions, 
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rules, and regulations contrary to or inconsistent with any provision of this Act are 
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hereby repealed or modified accordingly.  
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SEC. 11. Effectivity. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
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publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. 
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Approved, 
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