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SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE ) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHIUPPINES 
)
First Regular Session 
)
(O ffur of ihr fV 
rr tiiij'
’17 
hay 16 P5:40
SENATE
S. B. No. 
1 4 5 ^
R E C C lvL jD Y : 4
A -
Prepared and submitted by the Committee on Education, Arts and Culture; Labor, 
Employment and Human Resource Development; and Finance with Senators Villanueva
and Escudero as authors
AN AC I
INSTITUTIONALIZING THE PHILIPPINE QUALIFICATIONS FRAMEWORK (PQF) 
AND ESTABLISHING THE PQF-NATIONAL COORDINATING COUNCIL
Ik’ it enacted hr the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled:
SEC riON 1. Short Title. This Act shall be known as the “Philippine Qualifications 
Framework (PQF) Act of 2017."
SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. In line with the Constitutional guarantee for the State to 
promote the right ot all citizens to quality and accessible education at all levels, the State shall 
establish, maintain, and support a complete, adequate and integrated system of education 
relevant to the needs of the people and society.
Recognizing the important role of education and training in national development, it is 
hereby declared the policy of the State to institutionalize the Philippine Qualifications 
Framework (PQF) to encourage lifelong learning of individuals, provide employees specific 
training standards and qualifications aligned with industry standards, ensure that training and 
educational institutions comply with speeitie standards and are accountable for achieving 
corresponding learning outcomes, and provide govemment with a common taxonomy and 
qualifications typology as bases for recognizing education and training programs as well as the 
qualifications fomially awarded and their equivalents.
SEC. 3. Definition of Terms. For purposes of this Act, the following terms arc hereby 
defined:
(A.) Basic Education reters to the education intended to meet basic learning needs which 
pro\ides the foundation on which subsequent learning can be based. It encompasses 
kindergarten, elementary and secondary education as well as alternative learning systems 
for out-of-school youth and those with special needs.
(B.) CUED refers to the Commission on Higher Hdueation.
(C.) Council refers to the Philippine Qualifications Framework National Coordinating Council. 
(D.) DBM reters to the Department of Budget and Management.
(E.) DepEd refers to the Department of Education.
(F.) DOLE refers to the Department of Labor and Employment.
(G.) DOST refers to the Department of Science and Technology.
(H.) DTI refers to the Department of Trade and Industry.
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(I.) 
Higher Education refers to post-secondary education offered usually by universities, 
colleges, academics or professional/teehnical institutions with programs leading to 
academic degrees at the baccalaureate level and academic degrees, diplomas or certificates 
at the post-baccalaureate levels.
(J.) 
NEDA refers to the National Economic and Development Authority.
(K.) PQF refers to the Philippine Qualifications Framework, a national policy which describes 
the levels of educational qualifications and set the standards for qualification outcomes. It 
is a quality assured national system for the development, recognition and award of 
qualifications based on standards of knowledge, skills and values acquired in different 
ways and methods by learners and workers of a certain country.
(L.) PRC refers to the Professional Regulation Commission.
(M.) Qualification refers to a formal certification that a person has successfully achieved 
learning outcomes relevant to the identified academic, industry or community 
requirements. A qualification confers official recognition of value in the labour market and 
in further education and training.
(N.) Secretariat refers to the permanent technical secretariat that provides support to the PQF- 
NCC.
(O.) Technical Vocational Education and Training refers to education involving the study of 
technologies and related sciences, in addition to general education, as well as the 
acquisition of practical skills relating to occupations in various sectors of economic life and 
social life, comprises formal (organized programs as part of the school ,system) and non- 
fomial (organized classes outside the school system) approaches.
(P.) TESDA refers to the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.
(Q.) Trifocalized Education and Training refers to the shared administration of the education 
system by three agencies responsible for each education level: The Department of 
Education tor basic education; the Technical Education Skills Development Authority for 
technical-vocational education and training; and the Commission on Higher Education for 
higher education.
SEC. 4. Philippine Qualifications Framework (PQF). The PQF has the following objectives:
(A.) To adopt national standards and levels of learning outcomes of education;
(B.) To support the development and maintenance of pathways and equivalencies that enable 
access to qualifications and assist individuals to move easily and readily between the 
different education and training sectors and between these sectors and the labor market; 
and
(C.) To align with international qualifications framework (c.g. The ASEAN Qualifications 
Reference Framework), thereby enhancing recognition of the value and comparability of 
Philippine qualifications and supporting the mobility of Filipino students and workers.
SEC. 5. Philippine Qualifications Framework-National Coordinating Council (PQF-NCC).
To harmonize and promote a seamless education and training system, the PQF National
Coordinating Council (PQF-NCC) is hereby established. It shall be composed of the following:
(1.) Secretary, Department of Education (DepEd);
(2.) Secretary, Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE);


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(3.) Chairperson, Commission on Higher Education (CHED);
(4.) Director Ceiicral, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA);
(5.) Chairperson, Professional Regulation Commission (PRC); AND 
(6.) One representative of the economic sector.
The PQF-NCe shall be chaired by the DepEd Secretary.
The following are the powers and functions of the PQF-NCC:
(1.) Harmonizes qualitications levels across basic, technical vocational and higher education;
(2.) Aligns education standards and learning outcomes with the level descriptors contained in 
the PQF;
(3.) Promotes the PQF and its elements including but not limited to their principles, key 
features, definitions or tcnninologics, structure and governance arrangements and provides 
information and guidelines in the implementation of the PQF;
(4.) Rationalizes the quality assurance mechanisms in Philippine education;
(5.) Develops and recognizes pathways and equivalencies;
(6.) Maintains the national registry of qualifications;
(7.) Ensures the international alignment ot the PQF with the qualification frameworks of other 
countries or regions;
(8.) Creates technical working groups in support of the development and implementation of the 
PQF;
(9.) Represents the country in international fora or negotiations in line with Qualifications 
agreements/aiTangements;
(10.) Reviews and updates the PQF;
(II.) Provides regular feedback on the progress and accomplishments to the Office of the 
President, the Senate ot the Philippines and the House ot Representatives with respect to 
the implementation of the PQF; AND
(12.) Performs such other functions that may be related to the implementation of the PQF.
SEC. 
6. 
Establislimcnt 
of 
Philippine 
Qualifications 
Framework-National 
Coordinating Council (PQF'-NCC) VVorklng Groups. Working groups shall be established to 
puisue the implementation ot the PQF, especially in the areas ot qualitications register, qualitj’ 
assurance, pathways and equivalencies, infomiation and guidelines and international alignment.
Each working group shall be chaired by a member-agency as may be designated by the 
PQF-NCC.
SEC. 7. Participation of the Industry Sector. Industry sector representatives shall be 
consulted and tapped in the development and implementation of the PQF to ensure the alignment 
of educational outcomes with industry requirements and to the value of qualifications with the 
workplace.


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SEC. 8. FRAMEWORK AND Level Descriptors. The PQF shall incorporate the 
qualitieations level descriptors detlned in temis ot the following: knowledge, skills and values, 
application, and degree of independence.
The PQF-NCe shall make detailed descriptors for each qualification level following the 
principles ot lifelong learning and the recognition of prior learning from previous infomial 
experiences while incorporating the learning standards in basic education, competency standards 
ot training regulations, and the policies and standards ot higher education academic programs. 
The PQF-NCe members shall jointly implement national pilot programs to determine its 
relevance and applicability in all levels of education. The DOLE shall provide the necessary and 
updated labor market infomiation regarding demand for spceitlc qualifications and emerging 
occupations as bases for the prioriti/ation of learning standards development.
SEC. 9. Review of ASSESSMENT SYSTEM. The PRC and CHED shall review the 
system of assessment of learning outcomes and align them with THOSE of the PQF.
SEC. 10. Technical Secretariat. THE PQF-NCC shall organize a permanent Technical 
Secretariat. The Secretariat may contract the services of technical experts and authorities on 
relevant areas ot coneem such as equivalencies, accreditation, curriculum development, 
educational measurement and testing.
The PQF-NCC shall detennine THE structure, composition, staff qualifications and the 
location of the pemianent Technical Secretariat.
SEC, 11. Idciitiricatioii of Priority Sectors. As a preliminary approach to the 
implementation of the PQF and to ensure its more focused implementation, CHED, TESDA and 
DepEd, in consultation with industry, DOLE. PRC, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI ), 
the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA), the Department of Science and 
Technology (DOST) and other related agencies, arc directed to identify priority sectors and 
programs for the PQF, taking into account labor market realities.
SEC. 12. Support from Other Government AGENCIES. DOST, NEDA, Department 
ot Budget and Management (DBM), and other related agencies arc hereby mandated to extend 
the necessary support and provide relevant inputs towards the effective implementation of the 
PQF.
SEC. 13. Appropriations. The amount necessary for the initial implementation of this 
Act shall be sourced from the cunent budgets and development funds of CHED, TESDA and 
DepEd. Thereattcr, the tunds necessary for the continuous implementation of this Act in the 
ensuing years shall be included in the General Appropriations Act.
SEC. 14. Implementing Rules and Regulations, The DepEd, CHED, TESDA, DOLE 
and PRC, in consultation with relevant stakeholders, shall issue within ninety (90) days after the 
ettectivity of this Act, the rules and regulations for the effective implementation of this Act.
SEC. 15. Separability Clause. If any provision of this Act or any part thereof shall be 
declared unconstitutional or invalid, the other provisions, as far as they are separable, shall 
remain in force and effect.
SEC. 16. Repealing Clause. All laws, decrees, orders, rules and regulations or parts 
thcrcot which arc inconsistent with the provisions ot this Act are hereby repealed, amended or 
modified accordingly.
SEC. 17. Effeetivity. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in 
the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of general Circulation.
Approved,