Republic of the Philippines 
House of Representatives 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
Bill Drafting Service 
Nineteenth Congress 
Third Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ______ 
Introduced by Representative Felimon M. Espares 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
This bill seeks to establish a campus of the Cebu Normal University (CNU) 
in the Municipality of Argao, Province of Cebu to be known as the CNU-Argao 
Campus. 
The CNU started its humble beginning as Cebu Normal School in 1902, 
gradually developed into a Cebu State College in 1976 and gained its state-funded 
university status in 1998 by virtue of Republic Act (RA) No. 8688, entitled “An 
Act Converting the Cebu State College Into a State University to be Known as the 
Cebu Normal University, and Appropriating Funds Therefor.” Through the 
years, CNU has provided quality education to thousands of students from 
Mindanao and Visayas islands and mostly from the Province of Cebu. 
The CNU, with its main campus in Cebu City, had a student enrolment of 
9,268 during the 1st semester and 8,736 of the 2nd semester during the Academic 
Year 2022-2023.  The Province of Cebu has recorded a population of 3,325,385 
and the City of Cebu has a population of 964,169, per 2020 Census of Population 
and Housing (CPH) of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). 
With the growing population of the Province of Cebu, the CNU-Balamban 
Campus and CNU-Medellin Campus were established in 2005 and 2008, 
respectively, to cater to the increasing number of students coming from the 
municipalities of Balamban and Medellin. And in order to accommodate the 
influx of the growing enrollees from the Municipality of Argao, there is a need to 
establish the CNU-Argao Campus, hence, this proposed measure. 
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The Municipality of Argao is among the first-class income municipalities 
in the Province of Cebu.  It recorded   78,187 persons per PSA 2020 CPH and is 
expected to increase exponentially in the years ahead.  Lies in the southeast 
portion of the Province of Cebu, it is approximately 66 kilometers from Cebu 
City, 109 kilometers from Balamban and 100 kilometers from Medellin. With 
only one other state-funded university campus in Argao with limited enrollment, 
the students and their parents in said Municipality are burdened with the high cost 
of transportation expenses or boarding housing expenses, traffic congestion and 
other related emergent issues in securing quality education.  Consequently, they 
pose negative impacts to the students, parents and the community-at-large of 
Argao. 
RA 8688, among others, authorizes the Board of Regents of CNU to 
establish branches within the Province of Cebu if there is no existing school 
offering similar programs or courses to promote equal access to educational 
opportunities. In view thereof, the CNU and the Municipality of Argao signed a 
Memorandum of Agreement on the establishment of a campus of CNU located 
in Argao. 
The establishment of the CNU-Argao Campus will enhance the 
accessibility to quality higher education not only for the students of Argao, but 
also for those in nearby municipalities. It will also promote local culture, address 
skill gaps due to lack of adequate life-long learning and employment 
competencies, foster more community engagement and promote research and 
extension services. Lastly, the parents and students will be able to save time and 
money in traveling to and from their residences to Cebu City or paying for 
boarding houses. 
In view of the foregoing, the immediate approval of this bill is earnestly 
sought. 
FELIMON M. ESPARES


Republic of the Philippines 
House of Representatives 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
Bill Drafting Service 
Nineteenth Congress 
Third Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ______ 
Introduced by Representative Felimon M. Espares 
AN ACT 
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ESTABLISHING A CAMPUS OF THE CEBU NORMAL UNIVERSITY IN 
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THE MUNICIPALITY OF ARGAO, PROVINCE OF CEBU, TO BE 
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KNOWN AS THE CEBU NORMAL UNIVERSITY (CNU)-ARGAO 
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CAMPUS, AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR 
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Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
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Congress assembled. 
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SECTION 1. Short Title. – This Act shall be known as the “Cebu Normal 
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University-Argao Campus Act.” 
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SEC. 2. CNU-Argao Campus. – There is hereby established a campus of 
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the Cebu Normal University in the Municipality of Argao, Province of Cebu, to 
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be known as the Cebu Normal University (CNU)-Argao Campus, hereinafter 
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referred to as the CNU-Argao Campus. 
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SEC. 3. Mandate. – The CNU-Argao Campus shall offer short-term, 
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undergraduate, and graduate courses within its areas of competency and 
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specialization, pursuant to the mandate of CNU, and according to its capabilities 
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as the Board of Regents, hereinafter referred to as the Board, may deem necessary 
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to respond to the human resource development needs of the Province of Cebu.  
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The CNU-Argao Campus is also mandated to promote research and 
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extension services, advance studies, and progressive leadership in education and 
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other relevant fields. 
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SEC. 4. Supervision and Management. – The CNU-Argao Campus shall 
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be headed by a campus administrator to be appointed by the Board, subject to the 
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guidelines, qualifications, and standards set by the Board and upon the 
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recommendation of a search committee duly constituted for the purpose of 
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selecting a campus administrator. The campus administrator shall be under the 
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general supervision of the University President.  
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SEC. 5. Compliance. – The CNU shall ensure the compliance of the CNU-
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Argao Campus with the policies, standards and guidelines of the Commission on 
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Higher Education for the operation of campuses, including those related to course 
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offerings and the introduction of new or revised programs prior to its 
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establishment. 
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SEC. 6.  Site Development. – The Municipality of Argao, Province of Cebu, 
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shall assist the CNU in determining the site for the establishment of CNU-Argao 
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Campus.  Likewise, the Municipality of Argao is enjoined to provide the 
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necessary assistance for the development of CNU-Argao Campus, including the 
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construction of building, campus perimeter fence and other facilities, and 
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provision of supplies, materials, logistics and utilities. 
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SEC. 7. Suppletory Application. – The provisions of Republic Act No. 
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8292, otherwise known as the “Higher Education Modernization Act of 1997,” 
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shall form part of this Act. 
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SEC. 8. Appropriations. – The amount necessary for the initial 
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implementation of this Act shall be charged against the current appropriations of 
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Cebu Normal University.  Thereafter, such amount as may be necessary for the 
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continued implementation of this Act shall be included in the annual General 
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Appropriations Act.  
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SEC. 9. Implementing Rules and Regulations. – Within sixty (60) days 
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from the effectivity of this Act, the Board shall, in coordination with the 
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Commission on Higher Education, Department of Budget and Management and 
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Municipality of Argao, Province of Cebu, issue the necessary rules and 
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regulations for the effective implementation of this Act. 
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SEC. 10. Separability Clause. – If, for any reason, any part or provision of 
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this Act is declared invalid or unconstitutional, the remaining parts or provisions 
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not affected shall remain in full force and effect. 
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SEC. 11. Repealing Clause. – All laws, presidential decrees, executive 
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orders, rules and regulations contrary to or inconsistent with the provisions of 
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this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly. 
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SEC. 12. Effectivity. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
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publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. 
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Approved, 
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