Republic Of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City
NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session
HoUSEBILLNo.       8159
Introduced by Representatives Doris E. Maniquiz
AN ACT
GRANTING FREE TulTION FOR GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES
ENROLLED IN GRADUATE EDUCATION MASTER'S PROGRAM
AT STATE UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES
EXPLANATORY NOTE
lt is the primordial  policy of the State to protect and  promote the rights of all
citizens to quality education at all levels and shall take appropriate steps to make such
education accessible to all. As such, Article XIV,  Section 2 of the  1987 Constitution
declared that the State shall establish and maintain a system of free public education
in the elementary and high school levels, thus, our country's children have free basic
education.   Recently, Republic Act 10931  or the Unt.versa/ Access fo Qua//.fy Terf/.any
Educafi.on Act of 20t 7 was passed providing for free tertiary education to bona fide
students  in  State  Universities  and  Colleges  (SUCs)  regardless  of the  program  or
course they are enrolled. On the other hand, Pepublic Act 10157, or The K;'ndergarfen
Educafi.on   Law,   approved   in   2012,   made   Kindergarten   the   compulsory   and
mandatory entry stage to basic education.
These  recent  legislations  are  a  manifestation  of  the  State's  Constitutional
mandate to deliver quality education at all levels.   Thus,  in  pursuance of this policy


I
trajectory, this proposed legislation will provide free tuition for Master's students who
are government employees, and who will be enrolling in SuCs.
This limitation of the segment of the population to be covered by this proposal
is in consideration of the needed financial  resources to successfully implement this
program.  Moreover, this bill is in consonance with Republic Act 11032 or the Ease of
Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act Of 2018 whiich ca:Hled
for the promotion of integrity, accountability, proper management of public affairs and
public property as well as to establish effective practices, aimed at efficient turnaround
of the delivery of government services and the  prevention of graft and corruption  in
government.   This  bill will  provide the necessary yet very important complementary
support  program  of  human  resources  development  through  the  grant  of  higher
education   specializations,   through   a   Master's  degree,   to  our  bureaucrats  and
technocrats.
Given  these  overarching  considerations  to  make  our  cMl  servants  better
educated professionals, the passage of this bill is thus earnestly sought.
tw'
REP. DORIS E. MANIQUIZ


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City
NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session
HouSEBILLNo.      8159
Introduced by Representatives Doris E. Maniquiz
AN ACT
GRANTING FREE TUITION FOR GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES
ENROLLED IN GRADUATE EDUCATION MASTER'S PROGRAM
AT STATE UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House Of Representatives Of the Philippines in
Congress assembled:
1                   SECTION   1.   Short  77t/e.  -This  Act  shall   be  known  as  the  "Government
2         Employees Free MA Tuition in sucs Act".
3
4                   SEC.  2.  Dec/arati.on of Po/i.cy. -It is  hereby declared  the  policy of the  State to
5         promote the enhanced professionalization of the civil service to further improve on the
6         efficient  delivery  of  public  services  to  the  people.    Further,  the  State  shall  likewise
7        upgrade  on  its  human  resouroes  to  cope  with  the  rapidly  evolving  societal  and
8        administrative  requirements  of  a  fast-moving  polity.  Towards  this  end,  government
9        workers, being an important component of the state's human resources, shall be given
10        education   advancement  opportunities   through   adequate  funding   and   such   other
11        mechanisms  to  improve  their education  levels,  for the  eventual  benefit of the  state
12         bureaucracy in particular, and the country, in general.
13


1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
SEC. 3. Defini.fi.on of Terms. -As used in this Act:
(a) Government employees refer to those who are employed, whether classified
as career, or non-career service positions] by the National Government or any
of    its    political    subdivision,    instrumentalities,    and    agencies    including
government-owned and/or controlled corporations, and local government units;
(b) Graduate Education refer to higher education programs leading to a master.s
degrees, as may be authorized and recognized by the Commission on Higher
Education (CHED);
(c) A Master's degree refers to an academic qualification granted at the graduate
education   level   to   individuals   who   have   successfully   undergone   study
demonstrating a  high level of expertise in a specific field of study or area of
professional practice ;
(d) State  universities  and  colleges  (SUCs)  refers  to  public  higher  educational
institutions established by the national government and are governed by their
respective independent boards of trustees or regents;
(e) Tuition fees refer to fees or school charges for subjects or course enrolled in
by a graduate education student;
SEC.  4. Free  Graduate  Education  for  Government  Employees  in  SUCs. ~  AM
20      career and noncareer service government employees are granted free tuition fee for a
21      maximum of two-year master's program in any sucs that they have successfully applied
22      for; Provr.ded, That non-career contractual government personnel must be employed for
23      at  least  five  (5)  years  at  any  time  after  the  effectivity  of  this  Act,  to  qualify  for  this
24      program; Provt.bed, further,   That   the   government   employees   pass   the   entrance
25      examination  and  other admission  and  retention  requirements  of the  SUCs;  Provt.ded,
26      Fi.na//y, That the  amount  required  to  implement the free tuition  fees  in  SUCs  shall  be
27      determined by the respective governing boards of sucs based on the projected number
28      of enrollees for each academic years, which shall be the primary factor in computing the
29      annual  proposed  budget of SUCs.  This  shall  in  turn  serve  as the  baseline  during  the
30      preparation  of the  annual  National  Expenditure  Program  (NEP)  by the  Department of
31      Budgetand Management(DBM).


1
2                  SEC.  5. Exceptions  to  the  Grant  of  Free  Graduate  Education. -The fohow.ing
3      students are ineligible to avail of the free graduate education leading to a Master's degree:
4                  (1 ) Students who were already granted with any government-sponsored graduate
5      education scholarship program in any higher education institution, whether public or
6      private, in the countryorabroad;
7                   (2) Students who fail to comply with the admission and  retention  policies of the
8      SUC;and
9                   (3)  Students who fail  to complete their master's  degree within  a  year after the
10      period prescribed in their graduate education program.
11
T2                  SEC. 6. Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR). -W.thin hiinety (90) days from
13      the effectivity of this Act,  the CHED,  in  coordination with the Civil  Service Commission
14      (CSC), shall promulgate the necessary rules and regulations to implement the provisions
15      of this Act.  Prov/-ted,  That the  non-promulgation of the rules and regulations provided
16      under  this  section  shall  not  prevent  the  immediate  imp[ementation  of  this  Act  upon
17       effectivity.
18
19                    SEC.  7.  Separabi./i.fy C/aLrse.  -If any  provision  of this Act  is  declared  invalid  or
20      unconstitutional, the other provisions hereof which are not affected thereby shall continue
21      to be infullforce and effect.
22
23                   SEC.  8.   Repea/i.ng  C/aL/se.   -  AII  laws,  decrees,  executive  orders,   letters  of
24      instructions,  proclamations, rules and regulations, or parts thereof inconsistent with this
25      Act shall be deemed notified, amended, or repealed accordingly.
26
27                   SEC.  9.  Effecfr.vtfy c/ause.  -This Act shall  take effect fifteen  (15) days after its
28      complete publication in the official Gazette or a newspaper of general circulation.
Approved,