FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
"d 
SENATE 
- 
Senate Bill No. 
INTRODUCED BY HON. MANNY VILLAR 
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. 
MANNYVJ LAR 
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i 
FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
SENATE 
Senate Bill No. 9 6 0  
INTRODUCED BY HON. MANNY VILLAR 
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 (DepEd). 
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 funds 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 DepEd is hereby authorized to formulate the rules and regulations 
SEC. 6. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in two (2) 
to implement this Act. 
newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved,