Republic of the Philippines

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

jixteenth Congress

First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO._ 3393

Introduced by REP. ROMAN T. ROMULO

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The changing realities spurred by globalization underscore the shift in contemporary
international education discourse from education to lifelong leaming, and from education as
transmission of expert knowledge to education as building learner competencies, including
learning how to learn

Leaming throughout life is the key in the globalized world to help individuals “adapt to
the evolving requirements of the labor market” and better master the “changing time frames and
rhythms of individual existence.”

Given that landscape, the quality of education presently being delivered by Philippine
higher education institutions (HEIs) necessitate the establishment of a contemporary quality
assurance system that can help promote quality HEI programs and institutions, mindful of the
following: commitment of the Philippine government to the evolving efforts to recognize and
develop a system of comparable qualifications, degrees and diplomas across the Asia-Pacific
region under the auspices of the UNESCO and other multilateral bodies (e.g. ASEAN, APEC);
the acceptance of internationally agreed upon frameworks and mechanisms for the global
practice of professionals; and the reality of an ASEAN community by 2015 that will facilitate the
free flow of qualified labor in the region and open up opportunities for graduates of Philippine
HEIs.

The promotion of quality HEI programs and institutions, however, calls for a healthy
balance of State intervention and respect for the constitutional guarantee of academic freedom
granted to institutions of higher learning. In academic freedom, HEIs can actively contribute to a
culture of quality that spurs innovations in learning leading to the improvement of existing
programs and institutions that is responsive to the current needs of society.

Pursuant to Article XIV, Sections 1, 2 and 4 of the 1987 Constitution which mandates the
State to protect and promote the right of all citizens to quality education at all levels, as well as
establish, maintain and support a system of education relevant to the needs of the people and
society, but at the same time, giving due respect to the protected academic freedom of
institutions of higher learning and the complementary roles of private and public educational
institutions, the foregoing passage of this bill on the Quality Assurance System Act is earnestly

sought
— just

ROMAN T. ROMULO.


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SIXTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 3393,

Introduced by REP. ROMAN T. ROMULO

AN ACT
ENSURING QUALITY IN ALL HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS THROUGH A
QUALITY ASSURANCE SYSTEM

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in Congress of the
Philippines assembled.
ARTICLE!

SECTION 1. Short Title. This Act shall be known as the “Higher Education Quality
Assurance System Act”

SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. It is the policy of the State to protect and promote the
right of all citizens to quality education at all levels, as well as establish, maintain and
support a complete, adequate and integrated system of education relevant to the needs
of the people and society. In this regard, the State, exercises reasonable supervision
and regulation of all educational institutions while recognizing the complementary roles
of private and public institutions.

It is likewise the policy of the State to gear the programs of State-supported
institutions of higher learning, taking into account regional and sectoral needs and
conditions and shall encourage planning in the development of educational policies and
programs in both the private and public institutions recognizing the academic freedom
enjoyed by all institutions of higher learning.

SEC. 3. Coverage. Quality Assurance shall apply to all State-supported institutions of
higher learning. Private institutions of higher learning, permitted or authorized by
Commission on Higher Education (CHED) as such, that opt to undergo Quality
Assurance System, shall likewise be subject to the same rules as provided in this Act


SEC 4. Quality Assurance System. The CHED, after due consultation and public
hearing, shall maintain and implement a Quality Assurance System for all Higher
Education Institutions as provided in this Act.

SEC. 5. Guarantee of Academic Freedom. In maintaining and implementing a Quality
Assurance System, the CHED shall ensure that Higher Education Institutions continue
to enjoy its constitutionally guaranteed academic freedom. Nothing in this Act shall be
construed as limiting the academic freedom of higher educational institutions.

ARTICLE Il.
SEC 6. Definition of Terms. For purposes of this Act, the following are hereby defined:

a. Accreditation — shall refer to a particular form of quality assurance that leads to
the formal approval of an institution or program which has been determined by a
legitimate body to meet predetermined and agreed upon standards, eventually
resulting in an accredited status granted to an institution of higher learning or
program by the accrediting body/bodies;

b. Accreditation bodies — shall refer to agencies that assess the quality of
educational institutions based on a set of criteria, measured through surveys and
onsite reviews by experienced accreditors;

c. Assessment- shall refer to the process of the systematic gathering, quantifying,
and using of information in view of judging the instructional effectiveness and the
curricular adequacy of a higher education institution as a whole(institutional
assessment) or of its educational programs (program assessment). It implies the
evaluation of the core activities of the higher education institution (quantitative
and qualitative evidence of educational activities and research outcomes
Assessment is necessary to validate a formal accreditation decision, but it does
not necessarily lead to an accreditation outcome;

d. Competencies - shall refer to the combination of knowledge, complex skills,
behavior and attitude that enables an individual to perform a specific task or role;

e. Evaluation — shall refer to the general process of a systematic and critical
analysis leading to judgments and recommendations regarding the quality of a
higher educational institution or a program;

f. Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) — shall refer to institutions of higher learning,
such as universities, colleges or professional institutions providing higher
education recognized by the CHED;

g. Institutional Quality - shall refer to the quality of the HEI as institutions, as
evidenced by the quality of programs of instruction, research and outreach or


extension programs,functioning internal quality assurance mechanisms,
Institutional Accreditation or Institutional Sustainability Assessment:

. Institutional Sustainability Assessment — shall refer to a quality assurance
process that assesses the institutional ‘sustainability of an HEI in the key areas of
quality of teaching and learning as supported by governance and management;
support for students; relations with the community: and management of
resources;

Learning competency-based standards — shall refer to standards that are based
on duly-specified learning competencies for a particular field of study or
discipline:

Outcomes — shall refer to the (a) anticipated or achieved results of programs or
the accomplishment of institutional objectives, as demonstrated by a wide range
of indicators (such as student knowledge, cognitive skills, and attitudes.)(b)
Outcomes are direct results of the instructional program, planned in terms of
learner growth in all areas. An outcome must be distinguished from an objective,
which is a desired result. Generally, each outcome statement should describe
one effect of the instructional program, and not accumulate several into one
statement. Also, the statements should be clearly detailed and easily
understandable by all teaching staff and students in the given area or
department;

Student learning outcomes — shall refer to the statements of what a leamer is
expected to know, understand and be able to demonstrate after completion of a
process of learning as well as the specific intellectual and practical skills gained
and demonstrated by the successful completion of a unit, course or program;

Learning outcomes-based education — shall refer to the kind of education where
the desired results or “exit outcomes” are first determined, which become the
goals for which the strategies, processes, techniques and means are put in
place;

Quality - shall refer to the discrete integration of the following elements and
functions expected of institutions and programs: (1) the guaranteed achievement
of minimal standards and benchmarks; (2) the drive to excellence (3) outcomes
determined by the HEI’s vision and mission, and (4) the ability to satisfy the
demands of the market and stakeholders:

Quality Assurance — shall refer to the processes and schemes that have the
objective of assessing, monitoring, guaranteeing and maintaining and/or
improving quality in higher education institutions and/or programs for the purpose
of accountability or improvement;


©. Internal Quality Assurance — shall refer to the intra-institutional practice/s used by
an HEI to monitor and improve the quality of its processes, both institutional and
program-oriented;

p. External Quality Assurance — shall refer to the concerns the inter- or supra-
institutional mechanisms of reviewing, assessing, maintaining and improving the
quality of institutions and/or programs and fall under the responsibility of a
competent body having the authority to engage in such activities;

q. Quality Culture — shall refer to the integration of internal quality assurance
procedures into the organizational culture and management systems of the
institution, so that its members share a core set of academic quality values and
approaches.

ARTICLE Ill.

SEC. 7. Quality Assurance System (QAS). The Quality Assurance System or
framework shall include two aspects:

(1) Internal Quality Assurance Process ~ which shall begin with an assessment of the
institution of its capacity to: a) translate its vision, mission and goals into desired student
learning outcomes; b) establish the proper learning environment through the
implementation of teaching-learning systems as well support processes and
procedures; c) review against performance indicators and standards defined in the
assessment system; and d) enhance programs and systems.

The maturity of the HEI's intemal quality assurance can be seen in the
institutionalization and documentation of systems/processes by the HEI, the extent of
implementation of these system processes, and the quality outcomes that contribute to
program excellence

(2) External Quality Assurance Mechanism — which shall refer to a system by which an
HE! subjects itself to evaluation and monitoring by an external quality assurance agency
that has autonomous responsibility for its operations and has the appropriate
mechanisms in place to ensure that reviewers/assessors are free from conflict of
interest

SEC. 8. Coordinating Body. The CHED shall serve as the coordinating body to the
fecognized external quality assurance agencies, such as the Philippine Association of
Colleges and Universities-Commission on Accreditation (PACU-COA), Association of
Christian Schools, Colleges and Universities-Accrediting Agency (ACSCU-AA),
Accrediting Association of Chartered Universities in the Philippines (AACUP),
Association of Local Colleges and Universities-Commission on Accreditation (ALCU-
COA) and Philippine Accrediting Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities
(PAASCU), and other accrediting agencies that shall be established to facilitate and


ensure that there are appropriate standards for evaluation and monitoring of programs
and/or institutions for quality assurance purposes.

ARTICLE IV

SEC 9. Evaluation and Monitoring of Programs. The evaluation and monitoring of
programs and institutions shall be two-fold, namely:

a) Direct assessment of educational inputs and learning outcomes wherein the
program outcomes are largely measured against the policies, standards, and
guidelines of the discipline; and

b)

Evaluation of the quality system of an institution to determine whether these are
sufficiently robust and effective to ensure that all programs are well designed and
deliver appropriate outcomes. Such an audit will consider program-level evidence
to the extent necessary to ensure that institutional systems are functioning
properly. In doing so, it takes into consideration the vision, mission and goals of
the HEI

SEC 10. Compliance with Institutional Sustainability Assessment. Private HEIs
accredited by the five existing accrediting agencies such as PACUCOA, ACSCUAA,
AACUP, ALCU-COA and PAASCU and other accrediting agencies that shall be
established shall be deemed compliant with the Institutional Sustainability Assessment
(ISA) processes provided in this Act.

ARTICLE V

SEC. 11. Indicators of Quality. HEIs are classified according to the four indicators of
quality: (1) the guaranteed achievement of minimal standards and benchmarks; (2) the
drive to excellence (3) outcomes determined by the HEI’s vision and mission, and (4)
the ability to satisfy the demands of the market and stakeholders.

SEC 12. Criteria for Commitment to Excellence and Institutional Quality. In
assessing the HEI’s commitment to Excellence, points shall be awarded to the HEI
based on the presence of Centers of Excellence and/or Development, program
accreditation and international program certification

In assessing the Institutional Quality of an HEI, points shall be awarded to the HE!
based on factors such as functioning internal QA mechanisms, institutional
accreditation, program accreditation, institutional certification, the _ Institutional
Sustainability Assessment (when applicable) and international institutional certification.

‘SEC.13. HEI Quality Classification. There are three classifications of HEIs according
to quality:


a. Autonomous HEIs (by Evaluation) - demonstrate exceptional institutional
quality and enhancement through an effective internal QA system, and
demonstrate excellent program outcomes through a high portion of accredited
programs, the presence of Centers of Excellence and/or Development,
institutional accreditation and/or international certification.

b. Deregulated HEIs (by Evaluation) - demonstrate very good institutional quality
and enhancement through functioning internal QA systems, and demonstrate
very good program outcomes through a good proportion of accredited
programs, the presence of Centers of Excellence and/or Development, and/
or international certification

c. Regulated HEls - are those institutions which still need to demonstrate good
institutional quality and program outcomes.

SEC. 14. Program Excellence. Program Excellence is manifested through
accreditation, Centers of Excellence and Development and international certification.

SEC. 15. Institutional Quality. Institutional Quality is manifested through institutional
accreditation, institutional quality assessment or other evidences in the areas of
governance and management, quality of teaching and learning, quality of professional
exposure, research and creative work, support for students, and outreach or extension
programs with the community.

ARTICLE VI

SEC. 16. Incentives for Compliance — HEls classified or typed in accordance with the
provisions of this CMO are assured of the following incentives:

a. Benefits appropriate to quality classification such as: For autonomous HEls, (1)
exemption from regular monitoring and evaluation visits by the CHED, (2)
exemption from the issuance of Special Orders for their graduates (3) privilege to
determine and prescribe curricular programs and revise the same, (4) the
privilege to offer new courses/programs in the undergraduate or graduate level
without securing authority from the CHED (except for disciplines that are under
moratorium) (5) privilege to establish branches or satellite campuses without
securing authority from the CHED (6)privilege to offer extension classes and
distance education courses and establish affiliation with recognized foreign HEIs
in pursuit of international standards of education and (7) authority to grant
Honoris Causa to those deserving, per pertinent provisions of existing CHED
issuance on conferment of honorary degrees.

For deregulated HEls, they shall be afforded the same benefits as those HEIs
classified as autonomous except those benefits provided in (4), (5) and (6).


b. The inclusion of the classified HE! and its programs in the list of comparable
degrees of the CHED, in reference to the UNESCO Convention on the
Recognition of Higher Education Studies, Degrees, Diplomas and Qualifications
in Asia and the Pacific, to which the Philippines is a signatory.

c. Priority in the allocation of government fund assistance for State-funded HEIs
and qualified private HEIs that have exhibited their commitment to program
excellence and institutional sustainability and enhancement.

d. Such other benefits as may be deemed appropriate and authorized by the CHED
in accordance with law and existing rules and regulations

ARTICLE Vil

SEC. 17. Implementing Rules and Regulations. Within sixty (60) days from the
effectivity of this Act, the CHED, in consultation with respective Professional Boards in
the Professional Regulation Commission, COCOPEA, and Federation of Accrediting
Agencies of the Philippines shall issue the necessary rules and regulations to carry out
the objectives of this Act.

SEC. 18. Repealing Clause. For purposes of this Act, all other laws, executive orders,
presidential decrees, rules and regulations or parts thereof inconsistent with any
provisions of this Act are hereby repealed, amended, or modified accordingly.

SEC. 19. Effectivity. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in
the Official Gazette or in any two (2) newspapers of general circulation.
Approved,