Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
 Second Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. 10324 
_______________________________________________________________________ 
Introduced by the Honorable ANIELA BIANCA D. TOLENTINO 
_______________________________________________________________________ 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Philippines is rich in natural resources. Our beloved motherland is even 
regarded as one of the world's mega-biodiversity countries, which are rich in both flora 
and fauna. Our country is gifted with very rich soil and a great climate that can be great 
make a flourishing agricultural industry. As such, agriculture proves to be the backbone 
of the Philippine economy. According to the latest data from the World Bank, the 
Philippine agriculture sector employs twenty-three percent (23%) of the Filipino 
workforce.  
In 2010, the Philippines was regarded as the top rice producer in the world. 
However, the country is now only ranked 8th in the top rice producers in the world. In 
fact, the Philippines is even one of the world’s top rice imports. This shows that despite 
the country being one of the most mega-diverse in the world, it still lacks the capacity to 
produce its own rice. The situation threatens the food security of the country. One way 
to increase the capacity of the country for agriculture is to promote agricultural education 
as early as in secondary school. Republic Act No. 10618, or the "Rural Farm Schools Act," 
mandated the Department of Education to encourage the establishment of at least one 
public rural farm school in every province in the country.  
The bill at hand seeks to establish a national agricultural high school and 
agricultural secondary schools in every region of the country which shall all be integrated 
into one system. This includes the determination of how the current rural farm schools 
established under RA No. 10618 can be integrated into the system that will be formed 
under this bill. This proposed legislation will promote the establishment of a complete, 
adequate, and integrated national system of education for the agriculture sector. 
For the Filipino people, the approval of the foregoing bill is earnestly being sought. 
May 6, 2024
10:46 am


Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
 Second Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. 10324 
_______________________________________________________________________ 
Introduced by the Honorable ANIELA BIANCA D. TOLENTINO 
_______________________________________________________________________ 
AN ACT ESTABLISHING THE PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURAL  
HIGH SCHOOL SYSTEM AND PROVIDING FUNDS THEREFOR 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the “Philippine Agricultural 
High School (PAHS) System Act of 2024.” 
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is hereby declared policy of the state: 
(a) To protect and promote the right of all citizens to quality education at all levels
and take appropriate steps to make such education accessible to all. Further,
the State shall establish, maintain, and support a complete, adequate, and
integrated system of education relevant to the needs of the people and society;
and encourage non-formal, informal, and indigenous learning systems, as well
as self-learning, independent, and out-of-school study programs particularly
those that respond to community needs;
(b) Promote industrialization and full employment based on sound agricultural
development, through industries that make full and efficient use of human and
natural resources;
(c) Recognize the right of farmers, farmworkers, and landowners, as well as
cooperatives, and other independent farmers' organizations to participate in
the planning, organization, and management of the program, and shall provide
support to agriculture through appropriate technology and research, and
adequate financial, production, marketing, and other support services; and


 
(d) Give priority to research and development, invention, innovation, and their 
utilization; and to science and technology education, training, and services. The 
State shall support indigenous, appropriate, and self-reliant scientific and 
technological capabilities, and their application to the country's productive 
systems and national life. 
 
To this end, the State hereby establishes the Philippine Agricultural High School 
("PAHS") System that will assume a leadership role in secondary level agricultural 
education. 
 
SECTION 3. Objectives. - In implementing the foregoing policy, the State shall 
pursue the following objectives: 
 
(a) Establish a main national agricultural high school and other agricultural 
secondary schools in different parts of the country and integrate them into one 
system of governance and management; 
(b) Integrate rural farm schools established under Republic Act No. 10618, or the 
"Rural Farm Schools Act," under the PAHS System; 
(c) Ensure uniformity in quality standards and systematize operations of schools 
under the PAHS System; and 
(d) Rationalize the establishment of agricultural high schools as defined in this Act. 
 
SECTION 4. Scope. - The PAHS System shall be composed of the agricultural 
high schools which shall be established under this Act, and the rural farm schools 
established under Republic Act No. 10618 which shall be integrated under this Act. 
 
SECTION 5. Philippine Agricultural High School System. - There shall be 
established a national agricultural high school to be known as the "Philippine Agricultural 
High School (Main Campus)." Agricultural high schools shall likewise be established in 
municipalities, cities, and provinces in the country. 
 
These agricultural high schools shail provide on a free scholarship basis high school 
education with special emphasis on subjects pertaining to the agricultural sciences. 
 
SECTION 6. Over-all Coordinating Authority. - The PAHS System shall be 
under the administrative supervision of the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the 
Department of Education (DepEd). 
 
The DA together with the DepEd shall institutionalize high standards of quality 
assurance in the PAHS System. These standards shall involve prescribing guidelines and 
policies on the operation and management of agricultural schools as well as basic 
curricula content to ensure the credibility and academic integrity of such agricultural 
schools. 


 
SECTION 7. Board of Regents. - The PAHS (Main Campus) and the agricultural 
high schools established under this Act shall have the general powers set out under 
Republic Act No. 11232, or the "Revised Corporation Code," and the exercise of its powers 
is hereby vested exclusively in the Board of Regents of the  PAHS System. The Board of 
Regents shall be composed of the Secretary of Agriculture as ex-officio Chairperson, the 
Secretary of Education as ex-officio Vice Chairperson, and the following members: the 
President of the University of the Philippines, the Executive Director of PAHS (Main 
Campus), and the Director of the Science Education Institute (SEI) as ex-officio Members; 
and one (1) representative each from the private sector representing higher education, 
agriculture, and new and emerging technologies as regular Members. The private sector 
representatives shall be appointed by the Chairperson subject to the confirmation of the 
Board of Regents, and shall serve for a term of four (4) years, unless sooner removed 
from office for cause.  
 
The Board shall exercise the following powers: 
 
(a) To determine the site of the PAHS (Main Campus) and the agricultural high 
schools to be established municipalities, cities, and provinces in the country; 
(b) To receive and appropriate in trust to the ends specified by law such legacies, 
gifts, sums, and donations of real and personal property of all kinds and to 
administer the same in accordance with the directions and instructions of the 
donor, and in default thereof, in such manner as the Board of Regents may in 
its discretion determine, for the benefit of the High School or for aid to any of 
its students; 
(c) To approve appointments made and contracts entered into by the Executive 
Director and Campus Directors In connection with the employment of 
professors, instructors, lecturers, and other employees of the school, subject 
to Section 14 of this Act; to fix their compensation, promotion, renewal, 
retention, rewards, incentives, and other conditions of employment; and to 
remove them for cause after due investigation and hearing; 
(d) To formulate its own rules of procedure, policies, and guidelines, and to 
prescribe for the administration of the PAHS System such general rules and 
regulations, not contrary to law, as are consistent with the purposes of this 
Act; 
(e) Approve the curricula and course of study submitted by the Executive Director; 
(f) Approve the criteria for the selection and admission of students; 
(g) Approve the grant of scholarship, stipend, and such allowances to students; 
(h) Approve the graduation of successful candidates from the various PAHS 
campuses; 
(i) Formulate policies and rules of discipline for students, faculty, and staff; 
(j) Approve the PAHS System budget and appropriate to the ends specified by law 
such sums as may be provided by law for the support of the System; 


(k) Receive grants whether cash, land, buildings and improvement thereof; 
donations, contributions, bequest, gifts, and to formulate policies for the 
administration thereof; 
(l) Develop policies for the expansion of enrollment in the campuses under the 
PAHS System; 
(m) 
Set policies and criteria to rationalize the establishment of agricultural high 
schools under the System, for its evaluation and approval thereof; and 
(n) Prepare strategic plans to enhance the capability of the System in developing 
human resources with focus on youth with special talents in agriculture science. 
 
A quorum of the Board shall consist of a majority of all members holding office at 
the time of meeting of the Board is called. All processes against the Board of Regents 
shall be served on the Executive Director or the Secretary thereof. 
 
SECTION 8. Executive Director. - There shall be an Executive Director of the 
PAHS (Main Campus) who shall be appointed by the Chairperson, subject to the approval 
of the Board and shall be conferred the rank equivalent to a bureau director with a fixed 
term of six (6) years, renewable for another term. The Executive Director shall coordinate 
the implementation of policies and guidelines set by the Board of Regents. As a member 
of the Board of Regents, the Executive Director shall articulate to the Board the mutual 
concerns of all the campuses. 
 
The Executive Director shall perform the following roles and functions: 
 
(a) Coordinate curriculum planning activities for the PAHS System; 
(b) Oversee research projects related to agricultural science; 
(c) Coordinate publication of research outputs of teachers, administrators, and 
students from the PAHS System; 
(d) Coordinate exchange programs with other educational institutions both local 
and foreign; 
(e) Develop and coordinate linkages and networking among the campuses of the 
PAHS System with other institutions; 
(f) Coordinate the implementation of the program for the identification and 
selection of scholars for the PAHS System; 
(g) Provide secretariat services to the Board of Regents; and 
(h) Perform such other functions as may be deemed necessary.  
 
 
 
For the efficient and effective implementation of the foregoing functions, the 
Executive Director shall be provided with a staff. 
 
 
SECTION 9. Campus Director - The agricultural high schools established under 
this Act different from the PAHS Main Campus shall each be headed by a Campus Director 
who shall be appointed by the Board, upon recommendation of the Executive Director on 
the basis of a search process. He/she shall have a fixed term of six (6) years, renewable 


for another term at the option of the Board. The Campus Director shall not be removed 
from office except for cause.  
 
The Campus Director shall be the administrative and academic head. of his/her 
campus and shall be responsible for its smooth operations. The Campus Director may 
constitute a consultative body which may act as a citizen's arm to interpret the 
educational needs of the service area of the campus.  
 
SECTION 10. Executive Committee. - There shall be an Executive Committee 
composed of the Executive Director, the Campus Directors in all the agricultural high 
schools included in the PAHS System, the heads of departments, and such other ranking 
faculty members or officials of the PAHS System as may be determined by the Executive 
Director, as members. The Committee shall be collegial in character. It shall have the 
power to screen and select the students to be admitted to the high schools; to select 
students who shall be recipients of scholarship, stipends, and other allowances in 
accordance with duly promulgated criteria and rules; and to develop the curricula, course 
of study, and rules of discipline, all subject to the approval of the Board. The Committee 
shall have the exclusive power to recommend studies eligible for graduation.  
 
The Committee shall implement and execute the policies laid down by the Board 
of Regents and exercise such other functions, powers, and duties as the Board may 
prescribe.  
 
SECTION 11. Registrar. - The PAHS (Main Campus) shall have a Registrar who 
shall also act as Secretary of the Board of Regents. The Registrar shall be appointed by 
the Executive Director with the approval of the Board of Regents. He/She shall keep such 
records as may be prescribed by the Board. 
 
All other Registrars of the agricultural high schools in the PAHS System shall be 
appointed by their respective Campus Directors with the approval of the Board of 
Regents. 
 
SECTION 12. Treasurer. - The PAHS (Main Campus) shall have a treasurer who 
shall be appointed by the Executive Director with the approval of the Board of Regents. 
All accounts and expenses shall be audited by the Commission on Audit (COA). 
 
SECTION 13. Professors, Instructors, and other Faculty Members. - 
Professors, instructors, and other faculty members of the PAHS System shall be exempt 
as such from any civil service examination or regulations as a requisite to appointment. 
They shall be selected in accordance with such criteria as may be established by the 
Board of Regents which shall include, if necessary and practicable, competitive screening 
examination. 
 


SECTION 14. Donations, Legacies, Gifts, and Other Contributions. - All 
donations, legacies, gifts, and other contributions for the benefit of the PAHS System or 
its support and maintenance or for aid to any of its students shall be tax-exempt and 
shall be an allowable deduction from the gross income of the donors. For the purpose of 
the income tax, the PAHS System shall be exempt from the payment of all taxes, fees, 
assessments, and other charges of the Government, its branches, and subdivisions. 
 
SECTION 15. Philippine Agricultural High School (PAHS) System Fund. - 
All income and donations to the PAHS (Main Campus) or the agricultural high schools 
created under this Act shall constitute a special fund to be known as the Philippine 
Agricultural High School (PAHS) System Fund. This fund shall be expended by the Board 
of Regents exclusively for the purposes of this Act. 
 
SECTION 16. Funding. - To carry out the purposes of this Act, Including the 
operation of the PAHS (Main Campus) and agricultural high schools established under 
this Act, Including the operations of the schools, the acquisition, improvement, and 
development of the land on which the schools shall be built, the construction, 
maintenance, and repair of buildings and improvements, and the acquisition of furniture, 
fixtures, and equipment, an initial appropriation of Five Hundred Million Pesos 
(Php500,000,000.00) is hereby appropriated. Thereafter, such amounts as may be 
necessary for the continued implementation of this Act shall be included in the Annual 
General Appropriations Act (GAA) of the Department of Agriculture as a separate and 
distinct item. 
 
SECTION 17. Implementing Rules and Regulations, - Within sixty (60) days 
from the effectivity of this Act, the Board of Regents shall promulgate the implementing 
rules and regulations to carry out the provisions of this Act. 
 
SECTION 18. Separability Clause. - If any part or 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 19. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, orders, rules and 
regulations, or portions thereof inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed, amended, 
or modified accordingly. 
 
SECTION 20. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect after fifteen (15) days 
following its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. 
 
Approved,