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Republic of the Philippines fi
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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

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EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS

First Regular Session

5567
HOUSE BILL

Introduced by Representative JONATHAN KEITH T. FLORES

AN ACT
AMENDING SECTION 5 OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 8498 OR THE
PHILIPPINE SCIENCE HIGH SCHOOL (PSHS) SYSTEM ACT OF 1997
IN ORDER TO ALLOW FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF MORE THAN
ONE PSHS CAMPUSES WITHIN A REGION

EXPLANATORY NOTE

‘The State recognizes the importance of education, science and technology as
a vital tool by which the Philippines can develop and progress. Towards this end it
has devoted Article XIV of the Philippine Constitution to ensure that all citizens is given
the right and access to quality education and pursue the science, research, invention
and innovation through the availability of education, training and other services
Pursuant to this objective, the Philippine Science High’ School (PSHS) Act of 1997 or
RA 8498 was enacted to rationalize, integrated and assume the leadership role in
secondary level science and technology education.

For 24 years, since its establishment in 1963 the PSHS was a single campus
on Agham Road, Diliman, Quezon City where the top 240 examinees in the National
Competitive Examination held yearly were accepted as government scholars. In 1980
however, the PSHS system has started to spread throughout the Philippines with the
establishment of regional campuses all over the Philippines. To date, each region in
the country has a PSHS campus except for the Autonomous Region of Muslim
Mindanao. All campuses have at most 30 students in each class thereby ensuring
quality education to all the scholars. However, regional campuses only have three
classes in contrast to the main campus which has eight classes per batch. Not only
is there a smaller number classes per batch at the regional level, the present system
also caps the limit on the establishment of a PSHS campus to only one (1) per region.
This limitation runs contrary to the constitutional mandate of providing quality
education that is accessible to all and undermines the importance of cultivating interest
in the research and development and to science and technology education, training
and services.

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RECEIVED “@\



This bill seeks to amend the scope of RA 8498 specifically to allow and
encourage the setting up of more PSHS campuses anywhere in the country. It is
believed that there is no shortage of deserving students that can qualify for scholarship
under the PSHS System. Establishing as many campuses as is necessary anywhere
in the country wil increase the accessibility of free high quality science education to
as many deserving students. It will also bolster the discovery of new indigenous,
appropriate, and self-reliant scientific and technological capabilities, and their
application to the country’s productive systems and national life.

Support of this bill is therefore encouraged.
eZ

JONAY T. FLORES


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

5
HOUSE BILL No.2 2°?

Introduced by Representative JONATHAN KEITH T. FLORES:

AN ACT
AMENDING SECTION 5 OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 8498 OR THE
PHILIPPINE SCIENCE HIGH SCHOOL (PSHS) SYSTEM ACT OF 1997
IN ORDER TO ALLOW FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF MORE THAN
ONE PSHS CAMPUSES WITHIN A REGION

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress
assembled:

Section 1. Amendment. - Section 5 of Republic Act no. 8498 is hereby amended
to read as follows:

“Section 5. Scope. - The Philippine Science High School System shall
be composed of the existing PSHS campuses at Diliman, Eastern Visayas,
Western Visayas and Mindanao, and future campuses which shall be
established under this law PROVIDED THAT, THERE SHALL BE NO
LIMIT ON THE CAMPUSES TO BE ESTABLISHED PER REGION.”
Section 2. Implementing Rules and Regulations. — The Board of Trustees shall
formulate the implementing rules and regulations to carry out the implementation of

this Act.

Section 3. Separability Clause. — If, for any reason, any provision of this Act is
declared unconstitutional or invalid, the other parts or provisions hereof which are not
affected shall continue to be in full force and effect.


Section 4. Repealing Clause. — Alll laws, decrees, orders, rules and regulations or
Portions thereof, inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed or modified
accordingly.

Section 15. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect on the day following its complete
Publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,