, ' 
SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
) 
) 
) 
SENATE 
S. B. No. 2275 
(In substitution of SB No. 93) 
'14 
JUN -4 P 4 :16 
Prepared Jointly by the Committee on Education, Arts and! Culture; and Finance 
with Senators (A.) Cayetano and (P.) Cayetano as authors 
AN ACT 
MANDATING ALL STATE COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES TO ANNUALLY 
CONFER AUTOMATIC ADMISSION AND PROVIDE SCHOLARSHIP GRANTS 
TO THE TOP TEN (10) PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS OF THEIR 
GRADUATING CLASS, AND ALLOCATE FUNDS THEREFOR 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives in Congress 
assembled: 
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SECTION 1, Short Title, - This Act shall be known as the "/skolar Ng 
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Bayan Act of 2014." 
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SECTION 2. Declaration of PoliCy. - The State is, mandated to increase 
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access to quality education to alleviate poverty and promote the intellectual well-
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being of the youth. It shall likewise give priority to measures that reduce social 
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and economic inequalities. As such, it is the policy of thB State to democratize 
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access to education at the tertiary level and make higher education available to 
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underprivileged but deserving students. 
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SECTION 3. Iskolar ng Bayan Program. - The Top Ten (10) public high 
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school students of their graduating class, based on the cumulative results at the 
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final grading period, shall be given automaiicadmission to State Universities and 
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Colleges (SUCs) of his or her choice subject to the proviSions of this Act. 
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The scholar shall be entitled to automatic admission in the SUCs of his or 
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her choice within his or her province, subject to evaluation or admission criteria of 
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each school with respect to the course that the scholar wants to take, given the 
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following guidelines: 
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a. Given the various sizes of the SUCs in the different provinces and the 
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diverse course offerings in each SUC, CHED is tasked with the 
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responsibility to ensure that the Isko/ars ng BaJ/an are accommodated 
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in an SUC within their provinces, or in an SUC in another province' 
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should there be limited slots or course offerings in their own province; 
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b. CHED, in coordination with the Technical Education and Skills 
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Development Authority (TESDA), and the Department of Education 
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(DepEd), and in consultation with the business iindustry, Department of 
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Labor and Employment (DOLE), Professional I'~egulation Commission 
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(PRC), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), National Economic 


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and Development Authority (NEDA), 
Department of Science 
and 
Technology (DOST) and other related agencies, are directed to identify 
priority disciplines, programs and courses, taking into account labor 
market realities. The SUCs shall have the option to offer scholarship 
for these preferred courses; Provided, That the lsko/ar ng Bayan shall 
be given preference in the slots available; 
c. SUCs that are recognized as centers of excel!lence in their regions 
shall accordingly allocate more slots for the Iskolar ng Bayan program; 
and 
d. Within Metro Manila, the Iskolar ng Bayan can apply without cost to at 
most three (3) SUCs. 
SECTION 4. Coverage. -
This act shall cover all SUCs except the 
University of the Philippines because of its institutional autonomy as the national 
university under Republic Act No. 9500 or the "University of the Philippines 
Charier of 2008"; Provided, that the University of the Phi:lippines shall come up 
with its own scholarship programs for the Top Ten (10) students from public high 
schools. 
SECTION 5. Requirements for Automatic Admis:sion.- The CHED shall 
issue guidelines to implement the Iskolar ng Bayan program, subject to the 
following conditions: 
a. The students graduated in the Top Ten (10) of their batch from public high 
schools within two (2) years prior to the academic year for which the 
student is applying; 
b. The students submitted a complete application as defined by the SUC 
within the given deadline; and 
c. The applicants' high school principal/administrators shall submit a 
certificate bearing the school's name, location, number of students, rank of 
applicantls in his/her graduating class and other relHvant information. 
CHED may impose other reasonable requirements after consultation with the 
SUCs. 
SECTION 6. Assistance to Iskolar ng Bayan. -
For the full and 
successful implementation of the Iskolar ng Bayan program, assistance may be 
given by the following stakeholders: 
I. 
Government Agencies - these government aglmcies shall implement 
the following mandates: 
A. 
CHED 
1. 
Conduct seminars for the SUCs regarding the Iskolar ng 
Bayan program; 
2. 
Together with the sues, develop a system, including the 
appointment of advisers, which shall provide assistance and 
guidance to the scholars in the determination of the 
appropriate course and SUC which will best suit their 
aspirations and strengths; 
3. 
Ensure compliance with the law by the SUCs which are 
under their supervision; and 
4. 
In coordination with the Department of Education (DepEd) 
and 
the 
SUCs, 
issue 
guidelirnes 
for 
the 
proper 


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implementation of this Act. 
B. 
DepEd 
1. 
Disseminate information on the implementation of the Iskolar 
ng Bayan program to all public high schools; 
2. 
Provide timely reminders about thIS Iskolar ng Bayan 
program to all public high schools towards the second half of 
the school year in order to give the prospective Top Ten (10) 
graduates ample preparation time to avail of the program; 
and 
3. 
Ensure compliance by all public high schools. 
C. 
SUCS 
1. 
Provide information to the faculty, administrative officials and 
staff, and parents about the Iskolar ng Bayan program; 
2. 
Provide a summer bridge program, should the scholar fail to 
meet the academic admission requin3ments for his or her 
preferred course, in order to enable the scholar to comply 
with the minimum academic requirements and/or allow the 
scholar to enroll in another course; and 
3. 
Ensure that fu II assistance is grantl'ld to the scholars to 
enable them to avail of the program. 
II. Local Government Units (LGUs) -
LGUs may create their own 
scholarship program to implement or complement the Isko/ar ng Bayan 
program for their constituents; 
III. Private Higher Education Institutions (PHEls) - PHEls are encouraged 
to provide scholarships under the Isko/ar ng Bayan program; and 
IV. Private Corporations - Private Corporations may likewise support the 
Iskolar ng Bayan program under their corporate social responsibility 
projects. 
SECTION 
7. Form of Scholarship Grants. - Scholarship grants are 
hereby provided in the form of: 
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a. Free tuition fee and other school fees to the Iskolar ng Bayan in all SUCs; 
b. Reasonable textbook allowance per academic year as may be determined 
by CHED based on annual inflationary rates; and 
c. Reasonable monthly living allowance based on the cost of living as 
determined by NEDA for Full Scholarship. 
SECTION 8. Annual Reporting. Each SUC shall annually report to CHED 
and 
DepEd 
under 
this 
Act 
on 
or 
before 
a 
date 
set 
by 
the 
Commission/Department. This report shall likewise be submitted to Congress. 
The report shall include the number of students admitted under the Isko/ar ng 
Bayan Program, the courses they are enrolled in, and other relevant information 
that will help improve the Program. 
SECTION 9. - Implementing Rules and Regulations. -
CHED and 
DepEd shall issue the necessary implementing rules and regulations for the 
speedy and effective implementation of this scholarship Act. 
The implementation of this Act shall commence on the next school year' 
after the effectivity of the law. 


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SECTION 10. Funding -
The amount needed to carry out the 
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implementation of this Act shall be included in the annual General Appropriations 
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Act (GAA). 
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SECTION 11. Separability Clause. - If any part or provision of this Act 
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shall be held unconstitutional or invalid, other proVisions thereof which are not 
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affected thereby shall continue to be in full force and effect. 
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SECTION 12. Repealing Clause. - All laws, presidential decrees, 
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executive orders, rules and regulations or parts thereof which are not consistent 
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with this Act are hereby repealed, amended or modified accordingly. 
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SECTION 13. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) 
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days from its publication in the Official Gazelle or in at leatst two (2) newspapers 
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of general circulation. 
Approved,