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SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
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SENATE 
SENATE BILL No.14 2 3 
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INTRODUCED BY SENATOR JOSEPH VICTOR G. EJERCITO 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The 1987 Philippine Constitution recognizes the importance of 
education and the corresponding educational system in the Philippines. 
Such prominences are embodied in Articles II, XIV and XV of the 
Constitution. Article II presents the declared policies of the State; Article 
XIV speaks of education, science and technology, arts, culture and 
sports while Article XV contains provisions for families and Filipino children. 
Article II, Sections 17 of the Constitution in its declared policies of the 
State insofar as education is concerned provides that: 
Section 17. "The State shall give priority to education, science and technology, arts, 
culture, and sports to foster patriotism and nationalism, accelerate social progress, 
and promote total human liberation and development. » 
With these declaJI'ed policies, the State is mandated. to provide a system of 
education for the Filipino youth and children, that is "quality education," a 
"complete, adequate, and integrated system of education relevant to the 
needs of the peoIDle and society." Consistently, the State must at the same 
time ensure that all citizens can access this envisioned system of education. 
In order to achieve these goals, the Constitution further provided under 
Article XIV, Section 1 and 4 that: 
Article XIV, Section 1: "The State shall protect and promote the right of all citizens to 
quality education at all levels and shall take appropriate steps to make such 
education accessible at all.» 
Article XIV, SectiQH 4. (1): "The State recognizes the complementary roles of public 
and private institutions in the educational system and shall exercise reasonable 
supervision and regulation of all educational institutions. » 
However, notwithstanding these Constitutional provisions, education in 
the Philippines remains obscure to its citizens. Statistics shows that more 
than 6 million Filipino youth remains out of school, unable to enroll because 
they cant afford the cost of education. 
As no less than CHED Commissioner Patricia Licuanan announced 


last month that Qut of the 1,683 private HEIs in the country, 451 or 27 
percent applied for tuition and other school fees increase and of them, 354 , 
or 21 percent have been approved, the average percentage of increase in 
tuition therefore results in an 8.65 percent, with a peso equivalent of P48.55 
per unit. 
With this we can anticipate the number of out of school youth to 
increase as 356 colleges and universities and 260 elementary and secondary 
schools nationwide due to an increased tu,ition rates for the Academic Year 
2013-2014. 
Given the existing economic conditions in the Philippines, salaries and 
wages of parents remain insufficient to answer for the prices of basic 
commodities, there's still a constant struggle to keep up with the increasing 
tuition fees for the much-needed education. It will be meaningless if school 
despite this brawl continue to be insensitive by implementing and imposing 
a uNo, Permit, No Exam" policy, prohibiting students with arrears from 
taking their examinations, and not finishing school regardless of how hard 
they have worked for it or how much academically deserving they are to 
finish it. It is thus unfortunate that a large number of educational 
institutions not only fail to do their duties as stated in the Constitution; they 
too willingly or unwillingly defy the constitutionally guaranteed rights of 
citizens to education. 
Lastly, despite the issuance of CHED Memorandum No. 02-2010 and 
DEPED Order No, 15 series 2010, were proven useless, as still hundreds of 
schools nationwide incessantly ignore said directives and pursue their no 
permit, no exam policy. The only way for schools to stop imposing "No 
Permit No Exam" policies is through legislative enactment. 
Therefore, in order to give meaning to what our Constitution has 
provided, every citizen rich or poor has the right to access education. This 
bill is thus being proposed with the intent to afford students of post-
secondary and higher education to take the midterm or final examinations 
notwithstanding their unpaid financial obligations to the school subject to 
the latters corresponding rights to demand and collect, as provided for 
under the Implementing Guidelines issued by TESDA and CHED. 
In view of the foregoing, the passage of this measure is earnestly 
sought 
\ 
JOSEPH VICTOR G. EJERCITO 


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~-~~-~---
SENATE OF THE PHILIPPINES 
SIXTEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
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SENATE 
Senate Bill No. 
1423 
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RECEIVEO I~Y;-f-
Introduced by SENATOR JOSEPH VICTOR G. EJERCITO 
AN ACT PENALJZING THE IMPOSITION OF A "NO PERMIT, NO EXAM" 
POLICY OR ANY SUCH POLICY THAT PROHIBITS STUDENTS OF POST-
SECONDARY AND HIGHER EDUCATION FROM TAKING THEIR 
MIDTERM OR FINAL EXAMINATIONS DUE TO UNPAID TUITION AND 
OTHER SCHOOL FEES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION ll. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Anti-'No 
Permit, No Exam' Act of2013". 
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is hereby declared unlawful for 
any technical-voeational (tech-voc) institute or higher education institution 
(HEI), whether public or private, to disallow any student of post-
secondary and higher education from taking any midterm or final 
examination due to nonpayment of tuition and other school fees under the 
established terms of payment prescribed by the concerned educational 
institution and approved 
by the Technical Education and Skills 
Development Authority (TESDA) and the Commission on Higher Education 
(CHED), respectively. 
SECTION 3. Coverage. - This Act shall cover all public and private 
post-secondary tech-voc institutes and HEls, including local colleges and 
universities. 
SECTION 4. Right of Students. -
Students of post-secondary and 
higher education shall have the right to take the midterm or final 
examinations notwithstanding the existence of unpaid financial obligations 
to the school. 
SECTION 5. Obligation of Students. -
The students and/or their 
parents, unless waived by the school authorities concerned, shall be 
obligated to pay an interest for the unpaid tuition and other school fees, 
which shall not be more than six percent (6%) per annum, computed from 


the date of the examination taken by the students until the date when the 
overdue and unpaid tuition and other school fees are fully liquidated. 
SECTION 6. Rights of Schools. - The school authorities shall have the 
following rights against students with financial obligations, which remain 
due and unsettled to their schools: 
(a) To withhold the release of the grades of a student with delinquent 
account until the unpaid tuition and other school fees plus interest charges 
are fully paid; 
(b) To deny admission or enrolment of any student having unsettled 
tuition or other sehool fees at the next succeeding semester classes, in the 
case of higher education, or at the next succeeding short-term course, in the 
case of post-secmldary tech-voc education, as the case may be, until the 
previous delinquencies are fully paid; and 
(c) To refuse issuance of school clearance to students with financial 
obligations to the school until all previous delinquencies are fully paid. 
SECTION 7. Unlawful Acts. - In recognition of the students' right to 
take their midterm and final examinations, the following acts by tech-voc 
institutes and HEls shall be considered unlawful: 
(a) Disallowing students with due and unpaid tuition and other school 
fees from taking the midterm or final examination; 
(b) Requiring the students to secure a permit to take the midterm or 
final examination from the school authorities prior to the administration of 
midterm periodic or final examination; and 
(c) Compelling the students to pay upon enrollment a down payment 
or first installment equivalent to more than thirty percent (30%) of the total 
amount of tuition and other school fees for the entire semester or duration 
of the course. 
SECTION 8. Penalties. -
Any HEI or tech-voc institute official or 
employee, including deans, coordinators, advisers, professors, instructors 
and other concemed individuals found guilty of violating any of the unlawful 
acts enumerated in Section 7 of this Act shall be punished by a fine of not 
less than Twenty thousand pesos (P20,000.00) but not more than Fifty 
thousand pesos (1'50,000.00). 
. 
SECTION 9. Implementing Guidelines. - The TESDA and the CHED 
shall promulgate the implementing guidelines necessary to enforce the 
objectives of this Act. 


, 
SECTION 10. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part of this Act 
is held invalid or unconstitutional, the other sections or provisions hereof 
shall not be affected thereby and shall remain in force and effect. 
SECTION 11. Repealing Clause. All laws, presidential decrees, 
executive orders or proclamations, administrative rules, issuances, orders 
and regulations contrary to or inconsistent with any provision of this Act are 
hereby amended, repealed or modified accordingly. 
SECTION 12. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) 
days after its pubLication in a newspaper of general circulation. 
Approved,