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Republic of the Philippines BAN
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES oe RECEIVED =\
Quezon City

2 VATENWL 22 227)

NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

2495

HOUSE BILL NO.

Introduced by: HON. DANTE S. GARCIA

AN ACT
EXPANDING THE COVERAGE OF THE TERTIARY EDUCATION SUBSIDY, AMENDING FOR
THE PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10931, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE “UNIVERSAL
ACCESS TO QUALITY TERTIARY EDUCATION ACT”

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This bill aims to expand the coverage of the Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES) to grant
underprivileged students the access to an education in private higher education
institutions (HEIs) in situations where there are no state colleges and universities (SUCs)
in areas around the country.

This bill is in fact a re-filing of House Bill 10560 authored by Committee on Higher and
Technical Education chairperson Rep. Mark Go in the 18% Congress.

The measure particularly expands the eligibility of underprivileged but academically
excelling Filipino students in their first undergraduate post-secondary tertiary education
program in private HEIs and technical-vocational institutions (TVIs) to the TES -
primarily the students who are from the Listahanan households who will be prioritized as
‘TES beneficiaries especially in areas where there are no existing SUCs, LUCs and public
TVis, and in those areas where existing government HEIs cannot accommodate students
in their respective campuses.

The immefii,

passage of this bill is hereby earnestly sought.

S.GARCIA
Union


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

2495

HOUSE BILL NO.

Introduced by: HON. DANTE S. GARCIA

AN ACT
EXPANDING THE COVERAGE OF THE TERTIARY EDUCATION SUBSIDY, AMENDING FOR
THE PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10931, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE “UNIVERSAL
ACCESS TO QUALITY TERTIARY EDUCATION ACT”

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

SECTION 1. Section 7 of Republic Act No. 10931 or the “Universal Access to Quality
Tertiary Education Act” is hereby amended to read as follows:

“SEC. 7. TERTIARY EDUCATION SUBSIDY (TES) for Filipino Students. - To support the

cost of tertiary education or any part or portion thereof, a TES is hereby established IN
ALL SUCs, LUCs, PRIVATE HEIs AND TVIs for all Filipino students who [shall] enroll
in THE FIRST undergraduate, post-secondary TERTIARY EDUCATION program[s] [of
SUCs, LUCs, private HEIs and all TVIs] OF THEIR CHOICE. The TES shall be
administered by the UniFAST Board and the amount necessary to fund the TES
shall be included in the RESPECTIVE budgets of the CHED and the TESDA: Provided,
That prioritization shall be given to students in the following order: (a) students who are
part of households included in the UPDATED Listahanan 2.0, ranked according to the
estimated per capita household income; and (b) students not part of the Listahanan 2.0,
ranked according to estimated per capita household income based on submitted
documentation of proof of income to be determined by the UniFAST Board: Provided,
further, That such prioritization shall not apply to Filipino students in cities and
municipalities with no existing SUC or LUC campus AND PUBLIC TVI.

THERE SHALL BE A PROPORTIONAL BUDGETARY ALLOCATION IN THE FORM OF A
VOUCHER SYSTEM FOR POOR AND ACADEMICALLY COMPETENT STUDENTS WHO
OPT TO STUDY IN PRIVATE HEIs AND PRIVATE TVIs IN CITIES AND
MUNICIPALITIES WHERE THERE ARE EXISTING SUCs, LUCs AND PUBLIC TVIs.

STUDENTS FROM LISTAHANAN HOUSEHOLDS SHALL BE PRIORITIZED AS


BENEFICIARIES OF THE TES IN AREAS WHERE THERE ARE NO EXISTING SUCs, LUCs
AND PUBLIC TVis.

ALL VOUCHERS ISSUED UNDER THIS ACT SHALL BE USED EXCLUSIVELY FOR THE
PURPOSE OF ASSISTING POOR AND ACADEMICALLY COMPETENT STUDENTS
WHO OPT TO STUDY IN PRIVATE HEIs AND PRIVATE TVIs IN CITIES AND
MUNICIPALITIES WHERE THERE ARE EXISTING SUCs, LUCs AND PUBLIC TVIs.

TO SUPPORT THE COST OF TERTIARY EDUCATION OR ANY PART OR PORTION
THEREOF, [T]the TES may, among others, [and to support the cost of tertiary education
or any part or portion thereof] cover the following:

(a) Tuition and other school fees in private HEIs, and private or LGU-operated TVIs, which
shall be equivalent to the tuition and other school fees of the nearest SUC or state-run
‘TVI in their respective areas;

(b) [An] Allowance for books, SCHOOL supplies, transportation TO AND FROM
SCHOOL, and [miscellaneous personal expenses, including a] reasonable allowance for
the documented rental or purchase of a [personal computer or laptop] DESKTOP OR
PORTABLE COMPUTER WHEN APPLICABLE [and other education-related expenses];

(©) An allowance for room and board costs incurred by the student WHEN APPLICABLE;
(d) 20x
(€) xxx

ALL TES BENEFICIARIES SHALL CONTINUE TO RECEIVE SUCH BENEFITS OR
SUBSIDY UNTIL THEY COMPLETE THEIR POST-SECONDARY TECHNICAL-
VOCATIONAL COURSE OR HIGHER EDUCATION DEGREE PROGRAM: PROVIDED,
THAT THEY DO NOT FAIL IN ANY SUBJECT ENROLLED IN AND COMPLY WITH
RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE RULES OF THE HEIS AND

TVIS.

SEC. 2. Republic Act No. 10931, otherwise known as the "Universal Access to Quality
Tertiary Education Act’, is hereby amended. All laws, presidential decrees, executive
orders, rules and regulations, and issuances or parts thereof which are inconsistent with the
provisions of this Act are repealed, amended or modified accordingly.

SEC. 3. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the Official Gazette or
in a newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,