TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session
25 JUL 14 A10 35
SENATE
S. No.
Introduced by Senator Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada
AN ACT
Awn 
LOCAL government UNITS TO ESTABLISH. MAINTAIN
ND OPERATE HANDOG NA OPORTUNIDAD PARA SA EDUKASYON fHOPF"^ 
CENTERS AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR EDUKASY0N (H0PE)
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Finishing a degree remains to be a big challenge to the Filipino youth 
primarily because of the financial requirements not only for paying the school fees 
but also for sustaining the needs of the students such as food, accommodation and 
transportation. At present, various government agencies, organizations and 
individuals are offering scholarships, educationai assistance, student loan programs, 
subsidies, incentives, and other forms of financial support. However, information on 
these opportunities is often not widely disseminated to students. In the case of 
national government agencies that offer scholarships, their local offices are usually
until regional levels only, thus limiting the access to information of certain cities 
municipalities, and barangays.
For instance, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) implements the 
Tulong Dunong Program (TDP). The Unified Student Financial Assistance System for 
Tertiary Education (UniFast) provides the overall management and guidance to the 
program and they coordinate with the CHED Regional Offices to reach the state 
universities and colleges, higher educational institutions and the students. While


they have nationwide and locai coordination, it is stiii inconvenient for students in
-rr StUdentS haVe t0 PerSOnally SUbmit the 
requirements to
he CHED Regional Office. In the case of Region I„, the CHED Regional Office is in
Pampanga. Students from Bulacan, Zambales, and other provinces have to travel all
t e way to Pampanga at one time to submit their documents and another time to
cla,m their allowances. They do this every semester of all the school yeare that they
are studying. This not only costs them time and money, but also makes it difficult
or them to squeeze in their busy class schedules the time to visit CHED office during 
working days and hours. 
y
The -Handog na Oportunidad Para sa Edukasyon (HOPE) Center Act'to
establish a HOPE Center in all cities and municipalities in the country. HOPE Center
will be the venue for information dissemination, assistance to students, facilitation of
ocumentary submissions and other support services that will make accessible to the
students, especially those who are in most need, the scholarship grants, student
loan programs, subsidies, and other incentives granted by various national
government agencies (NGAs), local government units (LGUs), state universities and
colleges (SUCs), local universities and colleges (LUCs), private higher educational
institutions (HEIs), private and non-government organizations, public and private 
individuals.
In view of the foregoing, the immediate passage of this bill is highly 
recommended.
EJERCITO ESTRADA


TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session
)
14 1110 36
SENATE 
S. No. 473
Introduced by Senator Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada
AN ACT
MANDATING THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS TO ESTABLISH MATNTAtm 
AND OPERATE HANDOG NA OPORTUNIDAD PARA SA EDUKASYON fHOPE^ 
CENTERS AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR EDUKASY0N (H0PE)
%ng"enst?Jelld: Sen3te and H°USe 
of the Philippines in
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Section 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Handog na 
Oportunidad Para sa Edukasyon (HOPE) Center Act".
Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is hereby declared a policy of the State to 
protect and promote the right of all citizens to quality and accessible education at all 
levels, and to take appropriate steps to make scholarship programs and
opportunities available and accessible to all interested students, especially to the 
underprivileged.
Sec. 3. Establishment of Handog na Oportunidad Para sa Edukasyon Center 
or HOPE Center. - To carry out the declared policy of this Act, there shall be 
established in all cities and municipalities a Handog na Oportunidad Para sa 
Edukasyon Center, hereinafter referred to as HOPE Center, which shall be operated 
and maintained by the local government units (LGUs); Provided, That in highly
urbanized cities (HUCs), a HOPE Center may be established in every congressional 
district.


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The HOPE Centers shall be linked to the regional offices of the Commission on 
H.gher Education (CHED) for coordination and technical supemsion, and to the 
CHED central office to constitute the national scholarship program network.
The HOPE center shall be under the office of the city or municipal mayor 
The HOPE Center shall be initially organized by and composed of a HOPE manager 
and may be assisted by a HOPE officer (HO) as may be determined by the LGU.
Sec. 4. Objectives of the HOPE Center. - The HOPE Center shall ensure the 
prompt, timely, and efficient delivery of scholarship programs and opportunities, and 
provision of information of the same. Specifically, the HOPE Center shall:
a) Provide a venue where people could simultaneously explore various
scholarship programs and opportunities available tor students in the 
tertiary level;
b) Serve as referral and information center for the various scholarship grants, 
student loan programs, subsidies, and other incentives granted by various 
national government agencies (NGAs), local government units (LGUs), 
state universities and colleges (SUCs), local universities and colleges 
(LUCs), private higher educational institutions (HEIs), private and non- 
government organizations, public and private individuals;
c) Provide the public with adequate information on available scholarship 
programs and opportunities; and
d) Network with other HOPE Centers for additional scholarships or 
scholarship exchange purposes.
Sec. 5. Functions of the HOPE Center. - The HOPE Center shall have the 
following functions:
a) Create a repository of all available scholarship grants, student loan 
programs, subsidies, and other incentives granted by various national 
NGAs, LGUs, SUCs, LUCs, HEIs, private and non-government 
organizations, public and private individuals;
b) Set up an integrated system of scholarship applications and maintain a
registry of application and ensure that underprivileged are registered 
therein;


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C) Assist the scholarship applicants in the preparation and submission of 
necessary documents as may be required by the national NGAs, LGUs, 
sues, LUCs, HEIs, private and non-government organizations, public and 
private individuals offering scholarship grants, student ioan programs, 
subsidies, and other incentives;
d) Conduct communication and information caravan for scholarship 
applications, programs and opportunities; and
e) Deiiver other functions incidental to the foregoing as may be necessary for 
the effective and efficient implementation of this Act.
Sec. 6. Role ofCHED. - It shall be the responsibility of CHED to:
a) Provide technical supervision, coordination and capacity-building to the 
HOPE Centers;
b) Establish and maintain an electronic registry of scholarship programs and
opportunities, and name of scholarship applicants as part of the overall 
scholarship program network;
c) Set standards for the establishment and operation of the HOPE Centers, 
and qualification standards for the HOPE Center personnel;
d) Extend other services of the HOPE Center to the LGU including the 
conduct of scholarship caravans, seminars, and other activities; and
e) Monitor, assess, and evaluate the performance of the HOPE Centers.
Sec. 7. Role of LGUs. - The LGUs, in coordination with CHED, shall establish 
the HOPE Centers. It shall be the responsibility of the concerned LGU to:
a) Operate and maintain the HOPE Center;
b) Ensure compliance with the operational standards set by CHED;
c) Extend such assistance and services as may be necessary in the promotion
of scholarship programs and opportunities within the area of jurisdiction; 
and
d) Submit to CHED a periodic performance and accomplishment reports.
Sec. 8. Ministerial Duty to Receive Scholarship Applications - The HOPE
Center shall have the ministerial duty to receive all of the scholarship applications 
which have substantially complied with the requirements, subject to the limitations 
prescribed by the applicable scholarship provider.


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Students may apply for more than one scholarship program or opportunity, 
unless it is proscribed by one of the scholarship providers.
Sec, 9. Information Campaign for Scholarship Programs. - The CHED, in 
partnership with the LGUs, shall intensify its communication and information 
campaign for scholarship programs and provide the public with the latest available 
scholarship grants, student loan programs, subsidies, and other incentives granted 
by various national NGAs, LGUs, SUCs, LUCs, HEIs, private and non-government 
organizations, public and privato individuals.
The CHED, in collaboration with the Department of Information and 
Communications Technology, shall make full use of the latest technology to 
disseminate information to reach every Filipino. The awareness caravan must 
increase the number of scholarship applicants and successful beneficiaries of various 
scholarship programs and opportunities.
Sec. 10. Appropriations. - The funding for the operation and maintenance of 
the HOPE Center shall be provided by the LCD from its National Tax Allotment and 
other internally-generated income of the LGU concerned.
Funds for the provision of technical assistance, training and supervision of the 
HOPE Center shall be included in the budget of CHED in the annual General 
Appropriations Act.
The amount necessary to carry out the initial implementation of this Act shall 
be charged against the current Fiscal Year appropriations of the concerned offices. 
Thereafter, the amount necessary to implement the provisions of this Act shall be 
included in the annual General Appropriations Act.
Sec. 11. Impiementing Ruies and Reguiations. - Within ninety (90) days after 
the approval of this Act, CHED shall promulgate the necessary implementing rules 
and regulations for the effective implementation of this Act.
Sec. 12. Separabiiity Ciause. - If any provision or part hereof is held invalid 
or unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision or part not otherwise 
affected shall remain valid and subsisting.
Sec. 13. Repeaiing Ciause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, 
executive order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule, or regulation


2 modZ t0 0r inCOnSiStent With the PrOViSi0nS 0f thls are hereby repealed
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modified, or amended accordingly. 
P a'
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Sec. 14. flrecf/V/?K. - This Act shall take effect fifteen 
»
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publication In the 
or in a newspaper pf 
ater "
Approved,