Republic of the Philippines

REP RESSS
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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES a aN
Quezon City 2 RECEIVED
pare gu 08
‘TWENTIETH CONGRESS Ta
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 1436

Introduced by the Honorable ANIELA BIANCA D. TOLENTINO

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The Philippines is rich in natural resources. Our beloved motherland is even
regarded as one of the world’s mega-biodiversity countries, which are rich in both
flora and fauna. Our country is gifted with very rich soil and a great climate that can
be great make a flourishing agricultural industry. As such, agriculture proves to be the
backbone of the Philippine economy. According to the latest data from the World Bank,
the Philippine agriculture sector employs twenty-three percent (23%) of the Filipino
workforce.

In 2010, the Philippines was regarded as the top rice producer in the world.
However, the country is now only ranked 8" in the top rice producers in the world. In
fact, the Philippines is even one of the world’s top rice imports. This shows that despite
the country being one of the most mega-diverse in the world, it still lacks the capacity
to produce its own rice. The situation threatens the food security of the country. One
way to increase the capacity of the country for agriculture is to promote agricultural
education as early as in secondary school. Republic Act No. 10618, or the "Rural Farm
Schools Act," mandated the Department of Education to encourage the establishment
of at least one public rural farm school in every province in the country.

The bill at hand seeks to establish a national agricultural high school and
agricultural secondary schools in every region of the country which shall all be
integrated into one system. This includes the determination of how the current rural
farm schools established under RA No. 10618 can be integrated into the system that
will be formed under this bill. This proposed legislation will promote the establishment
of a complete, adequate, and integrated national system of education for the
agriculture sector.

For the Filipino people, the approval of the foregoing bill is earnestly being

sought.



Republic of the Philippines.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

TWENTIETH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL No. 1436

Introduced by the Honorable ANIELA BIANCA D. TOLENTINO

AN ACT ESTABLISHING THE PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURAL
HIGH SCHOOL SYSTEM AND PROVIDING FUNDS THEREFOR

Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in
Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the “Philippine
Agricultural High Schoo! (PAHS) System Act of 2025.”

SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. - \t is hereby declared policy of the
state:

(a) To protect and promote the right of all citizens to quality education at all
levels and take appropriate steps to make such education accessible to all.
Further, the State shall establish, maintain, and support a complete,
adequate, and integrated system of education relevant to the needs of the
people and society; and encourage non-formal, informal, and indigenous
learning systems, as well as self-learning, independent, and out-of-school
‘study programs particularly those that respond to community needs;

(b) Promote industrialization and full employment based on sound agricultural
development, through industries that make full and efficient use of human
and natural resources;

(c) Recognize the right of farmers, farmworkers, and landowners, as well as
cooperatives, and other independent farmers’ organizations to participate in
the planning, organization, and management of the program, and shall
provide support to agriculture through appropriate technology and research,
and adequate financial, production, marketing, and other support services;
and


(d) Give priority to research and development, invention, innovation, and their
utilization; and to science and technology education, training, and services.
The State shall support indigenous, appropriate, and self-reliant scientific
and technological capabilities, and their application to the country's
Productive systems and national life.

To this end, the State hereby establishes the Philippine Agricultural High School
("PAHS") System that will assume a leadership role in secondary level agricultural
education.

SECTION 3. Objectives. - In implementing the foregoing policy, the State
shall pursue the following objectives:

(a) Establish a main national agricultural high school and other agricultural
secondary schools in different parts of the country and integrate them into
‘one system of governance and management;

(b) Integrate rural farm schools established under Republic Act No. 10618, or
the "Rural Farm Schools Act," under the PAHS System;

(c) Ensure uniformity in quality standards and systematize operations of schools
under the PAHS System; and

(d) Rationalize the establishment of agricultural high schools as defined in this
Act.

SECTION 4. Scope. - The PAHS System shall be composed of the agricultural
high schools which shall be established under this Act, and the rural farm schools
established under Republic Act No. 10618 which shall be integrated under this Act.

SECTION 5. Philippine Agricultural High School System. - There shall be
established a national agricultural high school to be known as the “Philippine
Agricultural High School (Main Campus)." Agricultural high schools shall likewise be
established in municipalities, cities, and provinces in the country.

These agricultural high schools shail provide on a free scholarship basis high
school education with special emphasis on subjects pertaining to the agricultural
sciences.

SECTION 6. Over-all Coordinating Authority. - The PAHS System shall be
under the administrative supervision of the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the
Department of Education (DepEd).

The DA together with the DepEd shall institutionalize high standards of quality
assurance in the PAHS System. These standards shall involve prescribing guidelines
and policies on the operation and management of agricultural schools as well as basic
curricula content to ensure the credibility and academic integrity of such agricultural
schools.

SECTION 7. Board of Regents. - The PAHS (Main Campus) and the
agricultural high schools established under this Act shall have the general powers set


out under Republic Act No. 11232, or the "Revised Corporation Code," and the exercise
of its powers is hereby vested exclusively in the Board of Regents of the PAHS System.
The Board of Regents shall be composed of the Secretary of Agriculture as ex-officio
Chairperson, the Secretary of Education as ex-officio Vice Chairperson, and the
following members: the President of the University of the Philippines, the Executive
Director of PAHS (Main Campus), and the Director of the Science Education Institute
(SEI) as ex-officio Members; and one (1) representative each from the private sector
representing higher education, agriculture, and new and emerging technologies as
regular Members. The private sector representatives shall be appointed by the
Chairperson subject to the confirmation of the Board of Regents, and shall serve for a
term of four (4) years, unless sooner removed from office for cause.

The Board shall exercise the following powers:

(a) To determine the site of the PAHS (Main Campus) and the agricultural high
schools to be established municipalities, cities, and provinces in the country;

(b)To receive and appropriate in trust to the ends specified by law such
legacies, gifts, sums, and donations of real and personal property of all kinds
and to administer the same in accordance with the directions and
instructions of the donor, and in default thereof, in such manner as the
Board of Regents may in its discretion determine, for the benefit of the High
School or for aid to any of its students;

(c) To approve appointments made and contracts entered into by the Executive
Director and Campus Directors In connection with the employment of
Professors, instructors, lecturers, and other employees of the school,
subject to Section 14 of this Act; to fix their compensation, promotion,
renewal, retention, rewards, incentives, and other conditions of
employment; and to remove them for cause after due investigation and
hearing;

(d) To formulate its own rules of procedure, policies, and guidelines, and to
prescribe for the administration of the PAHS System such general rules and
regulations, not contrary to law, as are consistent with the purposes of this

Act;

(e) Approve the curricula and course of study submitted by the Executive
Director;

(f) Approve the criteria for the selection and admission of students;

(g) Approve the grant of scholarship, stipend, and such allowances to students;

(h) Approve the graduation of successful candidates from the various PAHS
campuses;

(i) Formulate policies and rules of discipline for students, faculty, and staff;

(j) Approve the PAHS System budget and appropriate to the ends specified by
law such sums as may be provided by law for the support of the System;

(k) Receive grants whether cash, land, buildings and improvement thereof;
donations, contributions, bequest, gifts, and to formulate policies for the
administration thereof;

(1) Develop policies for the expansion of enrollment in the campuses under the
PAHS System;


(m) _ Set policies and criteria to rationalize the establishment of agricultural
high schools under the System, for its evaluation and approval thereof; and

(n) Prepare strategic plans to enhance the capability of the System in
developing human resources with focus on youth with special talents in
agriculture science.

A quorum of the Board shall consist of a majority of all members holding office
at the time of meeting of the Board is called. All processes against the Board of
Regents shall be served on the Executive Director or the Secretary thereof.

SECTION 8. Executive Director. - There shall be an Executive Director of
the PAHS (Main Campus) who shall be appointed by the Chairperson, subject to the
approval of the Board and shall be conferred the rank equivalent to a bureau director
with a fixed term of six (6) years, renewable for another term. The Executive Director
shall coordinate the implementation of policies and guidelines set by the Board of
Regents. As a member of the Board of Regents, the Executive Director shall articulate
to the Board the mutual concerns of all the campuses.

The Executive Director shall perform the following roles and functions:

(a) Coordinate curriculum planning activities for the PAHS System;

(b) Oversee research projects related to agricultural science;

(c) Coordinate publication of research outputs of teachers, administrators, and
students from the PAHS System;

(d) Coordinate exchange programs with other educational institutions both local
and foreign;

(e) Develop and coordinate linkages and networking among the campuses of
the PAHS System with other institutions;

(f) Coordinate the implementation of the program for the identification and
selection of scholars for the PAHS System;

(g) Provide secretariat services to the Board of Regents; and

(h) Perform such other functions as may be deemed necessary.

For the efficient and effective implementation of the foregoing functions, the
Executive Director shall be provided with a staff.

SECTION 9. Campus Director - The agricultural high schools established
under this Act different from the PAHS Main Campus shall each be headed by a
Campus Director who shall be appointed by the Board, upon recommendation of the
Executive Director on the basis of a search process. He/she shall have a fixed term of
six (6) years, renewable for another term at the option of the Board, The Campus
Director shall not be removed from office except for cause.

The Campus Director shall be the administrative and academic head. of his/her
campus and shall be responsible for its smooth operations. The Campus Director may
constitute a consultative body which may act as a citizen's arm to interpret the
educational needs of the service area of the campus.


SECTION 10. Executive Committee. - There shall be an Executive
Committee composed of the Executive Director, the Campus Directors in all the
agricultural high schools included in the PAHS System, the heads of departments, and
such other ranking faculty members or officials of the PAHS System as may be
determined by the Executive Director, as members. The Committee shail be collegial
in character. It shall have the power to screen and select the students to be admitted
to the high schools; to select students who shall be recipients of scholarship, stipends,
and other allowances in accordance with duly promulgated criteria and rules; and to
develop the curricula, course of study, and rules of discipline, all subject to the
approval of the Board. The Committee shall have the exclusive power to recommend
studies eligible for graduation.

The Committee shall implement and execute the policies laid down by the Board
of Regents and exercise such other functions, powers, and duties as the Board may
prescribe.

SECTION 11. Registrar. - The PAHS (Main Campus) shall have a Registrar
who shall also act as Secretary of the Board of Regents. The Registrar shall be
appointed by the Executive Director with the approval of the Board of Regents. He/She
shall keep such records as may be prescribed by the Board.

All other Registrars of the agricultural high schools in the PAHS System shall be
appointed by their respective Campus Directors with the approval of the Board of
Regents.

SECTION 12. Treasurer. - The PAHS (Main Campus) shall have a treasurer
who shall be appointed by the Executive Director with the approval of the Board of
Regents. All accounts and expenses shall be audited by the Commission on Audit
(COA).

SECTION 13. Professors, Instructors, and other Faculty Members. -
Professors, instructors, and other faculty members of the PAHS System shall be
exempt as such from any civil service examination or regulations as a requisite to
appointment. They shall be selected in accordance with such criteria as may be
established by the Board of Regents which shall include, if necessary and practicable,
competitive screening examination.

SECTION 14. Donations, Legacies, Gifts, and Other Contributions, - A\l
donations, legacies, gifts, and other contributions for the benefit of the PAHS System
or its support and maintenance or for aid to any of its students shall be tax-exempt
and shall be an allowable deduction from the gross income of the donors. For the
purpose of the income tax, the PAHS System shall be exempt from the payment of all
taxes, fees, assessments, and other charges of the Government, its branches, and
subdivisions.

SECTION 15. Philippine Agricultural High School (PAHS) System
Fund. - All income and donations to the PAHS (Main Campus) or the agricultural high
schools created under this Act shall constitute a special fund to be known as the


Philippine Agricultural High School (PAHS) System Fund. This fund shall be expended
by the Board of Regents exclusively for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 16. Funding. - To carry out the purposes of this Act, Including the
operation of the PAHS (Main Campus) and agricultural high schools established under
this Act, Including the operations of the schools, the acquisition, improvement, and
development of the land on which the schools shall be built, the construction,
maintenance, and repair of buildings and improvements, and the acquisition of
furniture, fixtures, and equipment, an initial appropriation of Five Hundred Million
Pesos (Php500,000,000.00) is hereby appropriated. Thereafter, such amounts as may
be necessary for the continued implementation of this Act shall be included in the
Annual General Appropriations Act (GAA) of the Department of Agriculture as a
separate and distinct item.

SECTION 17. Implementing Rules and Regulations, - Within sixty (60)
days from the effectivity of this Act, the Board of Regents shall promulgate the
implementing rules and regulations to carry out the provisions of this Act.

SECTION 18. Separability Clause. - If any part or provision of this Act is
declared unconstitutional or invalid, the other parts or provisions hereof which are not
affected shail continue to be in full force and effect.

SECTION 19. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, orders, rules and
regulations, or portions thereof inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed,
amended, or modified accordingly.

SECTION 20. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect after fifteen (15) days
following its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,