Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS 
Third Regular Session 
House Bill No. ________ 
____________________________________________________________________ 
Introduced by Representative Joselito “Joel”  S. Sacdalan 
First District, North Cotabato  
____________________________________________________________________ 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
There are agencies in the executive branch of the national government namely: the 
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the Philippine National Police (PNP), the Bureau 
of Fire Protection (BFP), the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), the 
Bureau of National Investigation (NBI), the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency 
(PDEA), the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), and the Bureau of Corrections (BuCOR) 
which are mandated by law creating these  to serve and protect the people  in different 
facets, and enforce laws for public order.  
Uniformed personnel from these agencies in the performance of their respective duties 
and responsibilities go through a life-threatening and dangerous acts and 
undertakings.  They are at all times or consistently at risks of getting killed or injured 
which may render them permanently disabled/incapacitated.  The profiles of these 
uniformed personnel generally may either be a married person whose family are  solely 
dependent of him/her, or unmarried person, but acting as the head of the family or 
the primary bread-winner.  When any mishap or sudden unfortunate events befell on 
these uniformed personnel,  the family left behind always suffer the brunt or effect of 
these economically or financially.   Further,  among the most affected need in the 
family is the schooling of those children or dependents of uniformed personnel who 
are killed in action or of those seriously wounded making them permanently 
disabled/incapacitated to earn their living.   
This bill seeks to provide full educational assistance and benefits to the school-age 
surviving children or dependents of those deceased  and of those permanently 
disabled/incapacitated uniformed personnel.  While there have been government 
programs which provide similar assistance and benefits,  or the elementary ,  high 
schools and tertiary levels, PD 577 and RA 6963, these are only for the AFP, PNP and 
BFP dependent. Also, for the tertiary education under the UniFAST managed by the 
Commission of Higher Education,  it is also a fact that availing of this does not 
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automatically guarantee  that these surviving children or dependents of uniformed and 
law enforcers could be accommodated and the program is also  competitive, and 
likewise will not fully free the student from economic difficulties, as he/she has to 
worry about his daily subsistence and other miscellaneous expenses.  At the onset of 
the Marawi siege,  the President has directed the creation of the Comprehensive Social 
Benefit Program (CSBP) for the dependents of AFP and PNP personnel killed in action 
(KIA) or wounded in action (WIA), but this is specifically provided to AFP and PNP 
personnel involved in the Marawi siege, and does not apply to the entire AFP and PNP 
personnel.  
This proposed  bill aims to automatically and without qualifications, grant full 
scholarship to the surviving children or dependents of deceased uniformed personnel 
and of those permanently incapacitated/disabled, from elementary  to tertiary 
education,  in schools of their choice including in a non-exclusive private schools.  The 
full scholarship shall cover tuition, books, uniform (if needed), and monthly stipend to 
cover daily subsistence, transportation allowance and school supplies. The full 
educational assistance and benefits shall be distinct from existing free educational 
/scholarship program.  
In view of the foregoing, the immediate passage of this bill is earnestly sought. 
 JOSELITO “JOEL”  S.  SACDALAN 
 Representative-First District, North Cotabato 


Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS 
Third Regular Session 
House Bill No. ________ 
____________________________________________________________________ 
Introduced by Representative Joselito “Joel” S.  Sacdalan 
First District, North Cotabato 
____________________________________________________________________ 
AN ACT 
GRANTING  EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE AND BENEFITS TO THE 
SURVIVING CHILDREN OR DEPENDENTS OF ALL UNIFORMED MEMBERS 
OF THE ARMED FORCES  OF  THE PHILIPPINES (AFP), PHILIPPINE 
NATIONAL POLICE (PNP), PHILIPPINE COAST GUARD (PCG), BUREAU OF 
FIRE PROTECTION (BFP), BUREAU OF JAIL MANAGEMENT AND PENOLOGY  
(BJMP), NATIONAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION (NBI), PHILIPPINE DRUG 
ENFORCEMENT AGENCY (PDEA), AND BUREAU  OF CORRECTIONS 
(BuCOR) WHO ARE KILLED OR PERMANENTLY  INCAPACITATED WHILE IN  
THE PERFORMANCE OF THEIR DUTY OR BYREASON OF THEIR OFFICE OR 
POSITION, AND PROVIDING FUNDS THEREFOR 
          Be enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
    Section 1.   Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the  “ Uniformed and 
Law Enforcement Personnel Educational  Assistance and Benefits Act”. 
    Section 2.   Declaration of Policy. - It is hereby the declared policy of the 
State to recognize and acknowledge the vital role of the Armed Forces of the 
Philippines (AFP), Philippine National Police (PNP), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), 
Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), 
National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), 
and Bureau of Corrections (BuCOR) in the maintenance of peace and  public order in 
the country and to ensure that their services and sacrifices for the country will be 
compensated or remunerated. 
    Section 3.  Permanent Disability or Incapacity; Definition. – Permanent 
disability or incapacity refers to the total permanent disability, which means 
that   because of  injury, a person is unable to work in their own or any occupation for 
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which they are suited by training, education, or experience. It shall refer to physical 
or mental injury or infirmity which is (i) permanent,  (ii) prevent a person from 
pursuing his/her normal employment, and (iii) seriously impairs his/her earning 
capacity.   
 
          Section 4. Grant of Educational Assistance and  Benefits . – All school-
aged surviving children or dependents of uniformed members/ law enforcers  of the 
AFP, PNP, BFP, PCG, BJMP, NBI, PDEA, and BuCOR, who are killed or permanently 
disabled/incapacitated while in the performance of their duty or by reason of their 
office or position shall automatically and without qualifications be extended full 
scholarship and benefits  from elementary to tertiary level, whether baccalaureate, 
formal or non-formal or training program in the school of their choice , both public 
and private non exclusive school or institution.  Such grant of full scholarship and 
benefit may also be granted to the surviving spouse of killed married uniformed/law 
enforcers or of the permanently disabled/incapacitated provided,  there is no 
children/dependent  qualified for the scholarship program.   
 
If the deceased or permanently disabled/incapacitated personnel is unmarried, but 
head  of the family,  his/her qualified siblings will be extended the full scholarship and 
benefits, or in the absence of a qualified sibling, the nearest kin, either niece or 
nephew. 
 
          Section 5.  Uniformed and Law Enforcement Personnel Scholarship 
Board.- There shall be an inter-agency Scholarship Board to be known as the 
Uniformed and Law Enforcement Personnel Scholarship Board, which shall be created 
and organized within thirty (30) days  from the effectivity  of this Act.  The Board shall 
be composed of the following: 
• Secretary of Interior and Local Government, or his alternate 
• Secretary of National Defense, or his alternate 
• Secretary of Justice , or his alternate 
• Secretary of Transportation or his alternate 
• Secretary of Education or her alternate 
• Chairman of the Commission on Higher Education, or his alternate 
 
The Board shall serve as the policy-making body vested with the authority to formulate 
the comprehensive guidelines, mechanics/procedure and requirements for the 
scholarship program  including its limitation pursuant to the objectives of this Act.   
 
The Board may create a Technical Working Committee, delegated to handle the 
responsibility of implementing the Guidelines in terms of screening, admission, 
qualifications, documentation and coordination with the concerned agencies: AFP,  
PNP, BFP, PCG, BJMP, NBI , PDEA and BuCOR and with different learning institutions 
chosen.  
 
The scholarship funds intended for this Act shall be managed and administered in 
accordance with the policies formulated by the Board.  
 


          Section 6.  Authority to Accept Donations; Tax Exemption Privilege. -  
The Uniformed and Law Enforcement Scholarship Board shall have the authority to 
accept donations, contributions, grants in cash or in kind, from lawful and appropriate 
sources, domestic or foreign.  Said donations shall be used exclusively to supplement 
or augment the funding requirements of the scholarship program, subject to existing 
government accounting and auditing rules and regulations; Provided, that any 
donation, contribution or financial aid which may be made to the Board shall be 
exempt from taxes of any kind and shall constitute allowable deductions in full from 
the income of the donors, contributors or  giver  for income tax purposes. 
 
Furthermore, the Board is authorized to invest so much of the idle funds as may be 
necessary for the purpose of generating additional revenue for the benefit of the 
scholarship program subject to the guidelines as may be formulated by the Board. 
 
          Section 7.  Funding of  Educational Assistance and Benefits. -  The 
amounts necessary to fund the educational assistance and benefits  for  the surviving 
children or dependents of the deceased or permanently  disabled/ incapacitated 
uniformed and law enforcement personnel under this Act, shall be sourced out from 
the following: 
 
A. Thirty per cent (30%) of the amount collected from the fees for firearms 
permits and licensing by the PNP; 
B. Thirty per cent  (30%) of  the funds exclusively allocated for scholarship of 
members of the AFP; 
C. Thirty per cent (30%) of the funds collected from permits and licenses, fines 
and penalties,  and other service incomes by the Philippine Coast Guard; 
D. Thirty per cent (30%) of the fees collected from clearances application fees, 
and other miscellaneous income by the National Bureau of Investigation 
E. Thirty per cent (30%) of the fees collected from Fire Clearances fee, permits 
and licenses by the Bureau of Fire Protection; 
F. Donations, grants, subsidies,  
 
          Section 8.   Appropriations -  An  allocation from the  General  Appropriations 
Act in the amount of Fifty Million Pesos (P50,000,000.00) shall be earmarked annually 
for the Uniformed and Law Enforcement Personnel Scholarship Program to augment 
the funds generated from Section 7 of this Act, to ensure the funding requirements 
for each scholars under this Act.   
 
 
         Section 9.  Implementing Rules and Regulations.  -  The Uniformed and 
Law Enforcement Scholarship Board herein created shall formulate and promulgate 
within sixty (60) days from its creation, the uniform Implementing Rules  and 
Regulations for the effective implementation of this Act. 
 
         Section 10.  Separability Clause.  -  If any provision or part of this Act is 
held invalid, illegal or unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provisions not 
otherwise affected shall remain valid and enforceable. 
 


          Section 11.  Repealing Clause.  – Presidential Decree No. 577, RA 6963 and 
all other laws, presidential decrees or issuances,  letters of instructions,  executive 
orders, administrative orders, rules and regulations or parts thereof which are contrary 
to or inconsistent with the provisions of this  Act are hereby repealed, modified or 
amended, accordingly. 
 
          Section 12.  Effectivity Clause.  -  This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days 
after its complete publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation in 
the country or in the Official Gazette, whichever comes first. 
 
 
         Approved,