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Republic of the Philippin ee .
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES (2i2CEDVLCD

Quezon City ae, 19 AUG 2016

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SEVENTEENTH ConGRESS 7" —|-22°"
First Regular Session BY:

House Bill No.2&27 REQISTRATION UNIT

INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVE ARTHUR C. YAP

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Article 4, Section I of the Constitution mandates that the State
should "protect and promote the right of all citizens to quality
education at all levels, and shall take appropriate steps to make such
education accessible to all." However, access to tertiary education in
the country remains a challenge especially to the poor and the
underprivileged.

A nationwide NEDA-commissioned survey entitled “Ambisyon
2040”, which looks into the aspirations, values and principles of
Filipinos, showed that 79 percent of Filipinos aspire for a simple and
comfortable life which includes having the capacity to provide college
education for their family. Unfortunately, an Annual Poverty Indicators
Survey released by the Philippine Statistics Office showed that almost
30 percent of high school graduates could not attend college because of
its high cost.

This bill seeks to appease this problem by establishing a
mechanism that will enable poor Filipino families, especially the
beneficiaries of the government’s Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino
Program (4Ps), to have at least one college graduate. Through the
institutionalization of the Expanded Student Grants-in-Aid Program for
Poverty Alleviation (ESGP-PA), a student grantee will be entitled to a
maximum of P60,000 per academic year to cover the cost for tuition
and other school fees to complete the student-grantee’s degree
program, State universities and colleges shall monitor the academic

BILLS AND iNDEX ‘service


performance of the grantees at the end of each academic year until the
grantees have graduated.

This bill ultimately ensures that even the poor and
underprivileged Filipino families will be provided the opportunity to
have at least one family member who graduated from college, an
effective tool that will help every Filipino family rise from poverty,
and enable them to contribute to national development.

In view of the foregoing, the immediate passage of the bill, a
counterpart of the same “One Family, One Graduate” bill filed in the
Senate by Senator Sonny Angara, is earnestly sought.



Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No. 289'7

INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVE ARTHUR C. YAP

AN ACT

ESTABLISHING A MECHANISM TO ENABLE
POOR FILIPINO FAMILIES TO HAVE AT LEAST
ONE COLLEGE GRADUATE BY
INSTITUTIONALIZING THE EXPANDED
STUDENT GRANTS-IN-AID PROGRAM FOR
POVERTY ALLEVIATION (ESGP-PA) AND
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR
OTHER PURPOSES

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


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SECTION 1. Title. - This Act shall be known as the "One Family,
One Graduate Act of 2016".

SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. - \t is the policy of the State to protect
and promote the right of all Filipino citizens to quality education at all levels
and shall take appropriate steps to make such education accessible to all
Further, it is the policy of the State to establish and maintain a system of
grants, scholarships and subsidies, which shall be available to deserving
students, especially the underprivileged, to help poor families rise above
poverty and contribute to national development.

SEC. 3. Objective. - This Act aims to contribute to the National
Government’s thrust to effectively address poverty by increasing the number
of graduates in higher education among poor households and by ensuring
that these graduates are employed in high-value occupations. This ensures
that qualified household beneficiaries of the government’s Pantawid
Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4 Ps) shall have at least one family member
who graduated from college.

SEC. 4. Establishment of an Expanded Student Grants-in-Aid
Program for Poverty Alleviation. - An Expanded Student Grants-in-Aid
Program for Poverty for Poverty Alleviation (ESGP-PA) shall be
established, which shall be exclusively granted and used for the tertiary
education of poor but deserving students belonging to indigent households
under the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction
(NHTS-PR), indetified by the Department of Social Welfare and

Development (DSWD), or informal sector families. Potential student-


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grantees shall be enrolled in State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) in
course offerings aligned with the priorities of the government

SEC. 5. Coverage. — Grantees of the ESGP-PA shall be limited to
poor but deserving students, giving priority to 4Ps beneficiaries who are
qualified to enroll in selected SUCs to take up priority programs of the
Commission on Higher Education (CHED).

SEC. 6. Entitlement. — A student-grantee shall be entitled to a
maximum of Sixty Thousand Pesos (P60,000.00) per academic year or
Thirty Thousand (P30,000) per semester. The amount shall cover the cost of
tuition and other school fees, academic and extracurricular expenses,
purchase of textbooks, board and lodging, transportation, clothing, medical
needs and other valid education-related expenses and support services to
complete the student-grantee’s degree program.

SEC. 7. Selection of Student-Grantees and Role of DSWD. — The
DSWD shall identify and validate potential student-grantees from among the
household beneficiaries of the 4Ps Program, which shall be submitted to
participating SUCs for admission process. It shall likewise coordinate
necessary interventions for the student-grantee and family at the local level,
and co-monitor with CHED the implementation of the program.

SEC. 8. Creation of the National ESGP-PA Committee. — A
National ESGP-PA Committee shall be created, which shall be composed of
the following

1. CHED Chairperson, as Chairperson of the Committee

2. Secretary of Department of Budget and Management (DBM),

member


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3. Secretary of Department of Welfare and Development (DSWD),

member.

4. Secretary of Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE),

member

5. President of the Philippine Association of State Universities and

Colleges (PASUC), member

SEC. 9. Functions of the National ESGP-PA Committee. - The

Committee shall have the following functions:

1.

2.

Oversee the operation and implementation of the program;
Enhance the policies that will ensure that the services
provided by the program shall serve the target student-
grantees;

Orient SUCs on the implementation of the program;
Reallocate unfilled slots to other equally deserving student-
grantees;

Decide on appeals, grievances, complaints, requests for

additional slots; and

. Monitor and evaluate the administration and implementation

of the program.

SEC. 10. Qualifications of Student-Grantees. - Student-Grantees

must have the following qualifications to be eligible for the program:

1. Identified “4Ps “ beneficiary;

2. Physically and mentally fit;

3. High school graduate or equivalent;


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4. No other higher education scholarship/grant from public
institutions;

5. Pass the entrance exam and academic requirements set by the
SUCs;

6. Pass the requirements set by the National ESGP-PA Committee;
and

7. Must enroll in CHED Priority programs.

SEC. 11. Responsibilities of Student-Grantees. -

1. Carry a full load per semester as prescribed in the curriculum and
finish within the required period of the program.

2. Maintain a satisfactory academic performance in accordance with
the policies and standards of the SUC.

3. Enter in a return service agreement of 2 years after graduation.

4. Adhere to the terms and conditions stipulated in the Contract.

SEC. 12. Responsibilities of Parents/Guardians of Student-

Grantees. -

1. Sign the Contract with the SUCs as the executor of the program.

2. Ensure that related expenses and other incidental expenses for
health and clothing shall be paid on time.

3. Ensure that the recipient will religiously attend his/her classes;
minimize absences, complete school requirements.

4. Ensure that all financial benefits directly received by the grantee
shall only be spent on legitimate purposes and on time.

5. If the beneficiary is the head of the family, he shall assume the

foregoing responsibilities to complete his studies.


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SEC. 13. Monitoring and Reporting by State Universities and
Colleges. - SUCs where grantees of the ESGP-PA are enrolled shall monitor
and report to the ESGP-PA Committee the academic performance of the
grantees at the end of each academic year until the grantees have graduated.

SEC. 14. Appropriations. - The DBM shall release directly to the
respective SUCs the amount of Two Billion Five Hundred Million Pesos
(P2,500,000,000.00) for the student-grantees and the activities of the
program for each year, which shall be included in the Annual General
Appropriations Act.

SEC. 15. Implementing Rules and Regulations. — The CHED, in
consultation with the DSWD, DOLE, DBM and PASUC shall promulgate
the necessary rules and regulations to carry out the provisions of this Act,
within six (6) months from its effectivity.

SEC. 16. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act is
declared unconstitutional or invalid, other parts or provisions hereof not
affected thereby shall continue to be in full force and effect.

SEC. 17. Repealing Clause. - All other laws, orders, issuances,
circulars, rules and regulations or parts thereof, which are inconsistent with
the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

SECTION 18. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15)
days from its complete publication in the Official Gazette of in a newspaper
of general circulation in the Philippines, whichever comes earlier.

APPROVED.