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Republic of the Philippines 
SENATE OF THE PHILIPPINES 
Pasay City 
SIXTEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
r 
('11) 
S. B. No. Or.. 
t' 
v. 
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Introduced by SENATOR JUAN EDGARDO "SONNY" M. ANGARA 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The 1987 Constitution mandates the State "to protect and promote the right of all 
citizens to quality education at all levels and to take appropriate steps to make education 
accessible to all." (Art XIV Sec 1). 
However, considering the rising cost of education, especially college education, more 
and more high school graduates find it impossible to pursue or continue a college degree 
because of their limited financial capacity. 
Data from the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) shows that enrollees in higher 
education institutions (HEls) from 2001 to the present have reached 2.56 million, but the 
dropout rate reached an alarming 83.7 percent. This means that the country is producing 2.13-
million college dropouts annually. 
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CHED records also showed that enrollment in tertiary education has not been 
encouraging as it slowed down from 1999 to 2002, and then dropped gradually starting 2002 to 
2003, with negative 0.8 percent growth in 2004-2005 for both public and private schools. Excepi 
for the big jump in 1998-1999, enrollment has been sliding down, thereafter. Moreover, tertiary 
education enrollment even in state universities and colleges shows a decelerating trend, 
weakening to negative 1.2 percent growth in 2004-2005, despite the lower cost of public 
education. In the case of private schools, the decline started as early as 2002. 
Based on the Commission's 2008 data, out of 100 Grade 1 pupils, only 66 finish Grade 6 
and only 58 of them enroll in first year high school. Of the 58, only 43 finish high school. 
However, only 23 of the 43 who finished high school enroll in college and only 14 of the 23 
eventually graduate from college. 
The National Statistics and Coordination Board (NSCB) data on the ratio of graduates to 
enrollment for tertiary education shows that its at 16 to less than 18 percent from 1994 to 2005. 
In the past 10 years, the NSCB reported that the total number of college graduates increased by 
an average of only 2.9 percent. The number of graduates also increased to only 481,862 in 
Academic Year 2009-2010 from 363,640 in AY 2000-2001. 
Considering that more than 26.5 percent or 3.8 million Filipino families are living below 
the poverty line, as reported by the NSCB 2009 Poverty Statistics and released in February 
2011, access to tertiary education for bright and deserving children of these families would be 
almost impossible, especially if they do not have the means to pay even for an entranc1 
examination, which is the initial step towards admission to any college degree program. 
Thus, this bill aims to ensure that poor but deserving high school' graduates are given 
equal opportunities in applying for college admission to higher education institutions by 


removing the first hindrance at the entry level, such as the prohibitive cost of entranCQ 
examinations. 
In view of the foregoing reasons, immediate approval of this measure is earnestly 
sought. 
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JUAN EDGARDO "SONNY" M. ANGARA 


SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
G') 
S. S. No. __ 
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Introduced by Senator JUAN EDGARDO "SONN" ' M. ANGARA 
AN ACT 
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GRANTING FREE COLLEGE ENTRANCE EXAMINATIONS TO 0:;RADUATING HIGH SCHOOL 
STUDENTS, HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES, COLLEGE ENF{ANTS OR TRANSFEREES 
APPLYING FOR ADMISSION IN PUBLIC HIGHER EDUCATIOl\:AL INSTITUTIONS (EXCEPT 
FOR NATIONAL UNIVERSITIES) AND TO UNDERPRIVILEGED PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL 
STUDENTS BELONGING TO THE TOP TEN PERCENT (10%) OF THE GRADUATING CLASS 
APPLYING FOR ADMISSION IN PRIVATE HIGHER EDUCATION !i·lSTITUTIONS 
Be t1 enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives o. the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. This Act shall be known as the "Free Colle(.f;' Entrance Exam Act." 
SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. It is hereby declared the policy of f',e State to expand and further 
democratize access to quality education at the college level by instituting mechanisms that protect 
the rights of underprivileged but bright and deserving high school gra:tuates. 
The exemption from the imposition of entrance examination f.. es is one such mechanism that 
will ensure that underprivileged, but bright and deserving high schoo: graduates, are given adequate 
assistance and equal opportunity to pursue their dreams of obtaining a college education. 
SEC. 3. Definition of Terms. For Purposes of this Act, the following' erms shall mean: 
a) College Entrance Examinations - shall refer to examinatior: ; required by higher education 
institutions on graduating high school students or high schoo' graduates as one of the criteria 
for determining admission to a four-year or five-year colle(e degree program in the said 
educational institutions; 
b) Underprivileged Public High School Graduates - shall refer to public high school stude'nts 
who belong to the top ten percent (10%) of the graduatin( class and whose parents live 
below the poverty line or belong to the poorest of the poor. as determined by the National 
Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), the National>tatistics Office (NSO), and the 
National Household Targeting System of the Departrent of Social Welfare and 
Development, who are the qualified beneficiaries of this Act; 
c) Higher Education Institution (HE/) - shall refer to an eduG'tional institution that is legally 
authorized to offer a program of education leading to the conf .'rment of a degree. 
SEC. 4. Coverage. All state universities and colleges (SUCs) eXCE'?t for national universities, and 
local colleges and universities (LCUs) offering degree-granting prr·grams, are hereby required to 
provide free college entrance examinations to graduating high school. students, high school 
graduates, college entrants and transferees who are applying for coil 'ge admission. 
All private colleges, universities or institutions of higher education or degree-granting 
programs are hereby required to provide free entrance examinatior : to underprivileged public high 
school students belonging to the top 10 percent of the graduating :Iass and who are applying for 
college admission. 


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SEC. 5. Qualification Requirements of Free College Entrance Examination Beneficiaries in 
SUCs and LCUs. A student beneficiary eligible under this Act shall have the following entry 
requirements: 
a) Must be a natural-born Filipino citizen; and 
b) Must be a graduating high school student or high school graduate, college entrant or 
transferee and intends to enroll in any public HEI. 
SEC. 6. Qualification Requirements of Free College Entrance Examination Beneficiaries in 
Private HEls: 
a) Must be a natural-born Filipino citizen; 
b) Must be enrolled in a public high school; 
c) Must belong to the top 10 percent of the graduating class as certified by the public school 
and the Department of Education (DepED); and 
d) Must have parents or guardians living below the poverty line as determined by the NEDA, 
NSO and DSWD. 
SEC. 7. Penalties. Any HEI official or employee and other concerned individuals found guilty of 
violating the provisions of this Act shall suffer the penalty of prision correccionai or imprisonment 
from six (6) months and one (1) day to six (6) years and a fine of Seven Hundred Fifty Thousand 
Pesos (P750,OOO.OO). 
In addition, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) may impose disciplinary sanctions 
against any HEI official or employee violating the provisions of this Act pursuant to Section 13 of 
Republic Act No. 7722, otherwise known as the Higher Education Modernization Act of 1994. 
SEC. 8. Implementing Rules and Regulations. The CHED, in coordination with the DepED, 
Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges (PASU(;:), the Coordinating Council of 
Private Educational Associations (COCOPEA), and the ASSOCiation of Local Colleges and 
Universities (ALCU), shall issue the necessary rules and regulations lor the effective implementation 
of this Act. 
SEC. 9. Separability Clause. If any provision of this Act is declared unconstitutional or invalid, 'he 
other sections or provisions not otherwise affected shall continue to be in full force and effect. 
SEC. 10. Repealing Clause. All laws, executive orders, decrees, instructions, rules and regulations 
contrary to or inconsistent with any provision of this Act are hereby amended, repealed or modified 
accordingly. 
SEC. 11. Effectivity Clause. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication ih at 
least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved,