TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session
i:, 
-'•■■■..............
25 JULIO P 2 •06
SENATE
S.B. No.
364
RECEIVED S¥:,..L.1..-
Introduced by SENATOR WIN GATCHALIAN
AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE TO PRIVATE BASIC 
EDUCATION, FURTHER AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT 
NO. 6728, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE “GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE TO 
STUDENTS AND TEACHERS IN PRIVATE EDUCATION ACT”, AS 
AMENDED, AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR
EXPLANATORY NOTE
The 1987 Constitution provides that the State shall 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.1 The enactment 
of Republic Act (R.A.) No. 6728, otherwise known as the “Government 
Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education Act (GASTPE), 
recognizes the complementary roles of public and private educational 
institutions by providing assistance to students in private education at the 
high school, technical-vocational, and tertiary levels.
One form of assistance institutionalized under Section 4 of R.A. No. 
6728 is the Educational Service Contracting (ESC) Scheme whereby a subsidy 
is provided to qualified high school learners in private high schools. At the 
time, proponents of the ESC Scheme deemed it a possible solution to four key
1 1987 Philippine Constitution, Article XIV, Section 1.
1


problems in public high schools: congestion, low quality of education, higher 
per student cost in public schools as compared to private schools, and 
declining viability of private high schools.2 R.A. No. 6728 was later amended 
by R.A. No. 8545, entitled “Expanded Government Assistance to Students and 
Teachers in Private Education Act” (E-GASTPE), which expanded the coverage 
of assistance for high school learners and included assistance for teachers in 
private education by institutionalizing an In-Service Training (INSET) fund 
and the Teacher’s Salary Subsidy (TSS).
Coverage under the E-GASTPE was further amended by Section 10 of 
R.A. No. 10533, otherwise known as the “Enhanced Basic Education Act of 
2013”, expanding benefits to qualified learners enrolled in Grades 11 and 12 
or Senior High School (SHS). To address classroom shortage due to the 
creation of new grade levels in basic education, assistance in the form of the 
SHS Voucher Program (VP) was developed by the DepEd to provide vouchers 
to qualified SHS learners in VP-participating SHSs.3 Currently, the ESC 
Scheme, SHS-VP, INSET, and TSS programs are being jointly implemented by 
the DepEd and the Private Education Assistance Committee (PEAC).4
The E-GASTPE Program is the largest program under the DepEd. From 
php 21.2 billion in 2016, the program’s budget more than doubled to Php 
53.2 billion in 2023. For 2025, the E-GASTPE Program has been allocated a 
budget of Php 40.51 billion based on the 2025 General Appropriations Act. 
This allocation makes up 5.2% of the DepEd’s total annual appropriations.
On February 6, 2024, this representation filed Proposed Senate 
Resolution No. 925 which was referred to the Committee on Basic Education,
2 World Bank, A Review of the Government’s Education Service Contracting Program, 2011, 
pp. 15-16, retrieved from
https: / /openknowledge.worldbank.org/entities/publication/ lae4ccl3-e390-5059-82be2 
b25cca219d46, last accessed June 24, 2025.
3 DepEd Order (D.O.) No. 020, s. 2023, Guidelines on the Implementation of the Senior High 
School Voucher Program, July 26, 2023.
4 As provided under the special provisions of the annual General Appropriations Act, See also 
DepEd D.O. No. 006, s. 2022, Reconstitution of the Government Assistance and Subsidies 
Composite Team, March 4, 2022.


joint with Finance, to discuss and assess the implementation of the E- 
GASTPE Act, for the purpose of crafting complementary or amendatory 
legislation. The Committee conducted two public hearings on February 28 
and March 20, 2024.
The public hearings showed that the E-GASTPE Program is the main 
vehicle through which complementarity is practiced in basic education with 
certain perceived benefits. The DepEd confirmed in its analysis, together with 
the Asian Development Bank, that it would be more cost-efficient for the 
government to invest in private education by expanding the coverage of the 
Program rather than building classrooms and providing for complementary 
resources such as teacher salaries and furniture.5 Based on the study, 
accommodating an estimated 7.3 million excess learners in public schools 
over the next 30 years would cost the government a total of Php 3.7 trillion6 
or Php 124 billion annually. Meanwhile, funding a voucher program over the 
same period would cost Php 2.6 trillion or about Php 86 billion annually. 
Hence, through the E-GASTPE Program, the government would save an 
estimated Php 1.1 trillion over the next 30 years.7
However, the ESC Scheme, in its current form, has failed to achieve the 
objectives of decongesting public high schools and providing equitable access 
to quality education for “poor but deserving” learners. Its inherent design 
flaws—lack of evidence-based slot allocation, perverse incentives for private 
schools, and the complexity of enabling conditions—render it ineffective and 
inequitable. Discontinuing the ESC Scheme in favor of a voucher system is a 
simpler and more cost-effective alternative. Adopting a voucher system will 
foster competition among private schools by incentivizing them to enhance 
the quality of education while keeping costs affordable. The relative simplicity
5 DepEd, Transcript of Stenographic Notes on the Is' Public Hearing of the Committee on 
Basic Education on PSRN 925 dated February 28, 2024, p. 43.
6 In 2023 prices.
7 DepEd, Transcript of Stenographic Notes on the lsl Public Hearing of the Committee on 
Basic Education on PSRN 925 dated February 28, 2024, pp. 51-54.


of allocating vouchers to learners in congested public schools further 
enhances its appeal.
In support of these findings and to further operationalize the principle 
of complementarity to achieve the country’s goals in education, this bill 
further expands the coverage of R.A. No. 6728, as amended, to integrate all 
basic education levels through the following provisions:
(1) Expansion of government assistance to private basic education to 
include learners from Kindergarten to Grade 6;
(2) Uniform implementation of tuition fee subsidy through a voucher 
system;
(3) Strengthening the objectives of the law by decongesting overcrowded 
classrooms in public basic education schools and prioritizing 
learners belonging to low income households and Alternative 
Learning System completers;
(4) Ensuring accountability and transparency in the engagement of 
support services of relevant government agencies or qualified private 
entities; and
(5) Removing all assistance for post-secondary education programs 
handled by the Commission on Higher Education and the Technical 
Education and Skills Development Authority.
It is my fervent hope that this legislation will contribute to the 
strengthening of the complementary roles of public and private institutions in 
the Philippine education system by providing uniform government assistance 
for private basic education. Likewise, this bill shall ensure transparency and 
accountability of public funds that may be handled by prh^ entities in the 
delivery of support services. Thus, I earnestly se^k^the/^pport of this 
Congress for its immediate passage.
GATCHALIAN


TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE 
]
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
]
First Regular Session 
]
SENATE
S.B. No.
364
of t\}t rl.u-j'
25 JULIO P2:06
RECEtVEO'8'1:.
Introduced by SENATOR WIN GATCHALIAN
AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE TO PRIVATE BASIC 
EDUCATION, FURTHER AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT 
NO. 6728, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE “GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE TO 
STUDENTS AND TEACHERS IN PRIVATE EDUCATION ACT”, AS 
AMENDED, AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled:
1 
SECTION 1. This Act shall be known as the “Government Assistance to
2 
Private Basic Education Acf.
3
4 
SEC. 2. Section 2 of Republic Act No. 6728, entitled the “Government
5 
Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education Act”, as amended
6 
by Republic Act No. 10533, or the “Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013”
7 
and Republic Act No. 8545, or the “Expanded Government Assistance to
8 
Students and Teachers in Private Education Act” is hereby further amended
9 
to read as follows:
10 
“SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. — It is a declared policy of the
11 
State in conformity with the mandate of the Constitution, to
12 
promote and make quality education accessible to all Filipino
13 
citizens. The State also hereby recognizes the complementary roles


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of public and private educational institutions in the educational 
system and the invaluable contribution that the private schools 
have made and will make to education. For these purposes, the 
State shall provide the mechanisms to improve quality in private 
education by maximizing the use of existing resources of private 
education, recognizing in the process the government’s 
responsibility to provide basic [elementary—an4—secondary 
education, post-secondary vocational and technical education^ 
and higher] education as having priority over its other functions.
THE ENHANCED BASIC EDUCATION PROGRAM 
ENCOMPASSES AT LEAST ONE (1) YEAR OF KINDERGARTEN 
EDUCATION, SIX (6) YEARS OF ELEMENTARY EDUCATION,
AND SIX (6) YEARS OF SECONDARY EDUCATION, PURSUANT 
TO REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10533, OR THE “ENHANCED BASIC 
EDUCATION ACT OF 2013”.
[“Elementary education is the first six (6) years of basic 
education^—excluding—pre-school—and—grade—seven,—the
completion--of which is attested by a certificate-issued by or
with permission of the Department-of-Education, Culture-and
Sports. Secondary education is the next four (4) years of basic
education, the completion of which is attested by a high school
diploma issued by or with permission of the Department of 
Education, Culture and Sports.)
[“Post-secondary-education may be education and training
kr^mn-degree vocational and technical courses offered in post­
secondary vocational and teehnical institutions or education 
in degree courses offered by-higher educational institutions,
the completion of which are attested by a certificate or
diploma issued by or-with permission of the—Technical
Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) or the 
Commission on Higher Education (CHED), respectively.]”
SEC. 3. SEC. 3 of Republic Act No. 6728, as amended, is hereby further


1 
amended to read as follows:
2 
“SEC. 3. Criteria for Assistance. — The programs for
3 
assistance shall be based on a set of criteria which shall include,
4 
[among—others] BUT NOT LIMITED TO, CLASSROOM
5 
CONGESTION, OVERALL PERFORMANCE, AND tuition AND
6 
OTHER fees charged by [the] PRIVATE BASIC EDUCATION
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schools[y]; [the socioeconomic needs of each region giving
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priority to the Social Reform Agenda (SRA) provinces, overall
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performance—of schools^—the—academic—qualifications,—and]
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financial needs of the [students] LEARN ERS [7]; and
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PERFORMANCE OF PRIVATE BASIC EDUCATION [the] teachers
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[, and the financial needs of the schools, as well as the
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geographic spread and size of student population].
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FOR 
PURPOSES 
OF THIS ACT, 
PRIVATE BASIC
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EDUCATION SHOOLS SHALL INCLUDE PRIVATE EDUCATION
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INSTITUTIONS OFFERING BASIC EDUCATION. PRIVATE BASIC
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EDUCATION TEACHERS SHALL INCLUDE TEACHERS IN
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PRIVATE 
EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS 
OFFERING BASIC
19 
EDUCATION.
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[iiIn—addition—to—the—foregoing—criteria^—within—such
21 
reasonable time as the respective State Assistance Council
22 
may determine, student grantees under the Private Education
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Student Financial Assistance Program shall be enrolled in
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schools which have accredited programs or are applying for
25 
accreditation as may be recognized by the respective State
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Assistance Council.]
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[“Preference shall be given to students whose family
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income—is—not—more—than—Seventy-two—thousand—pesos
30 
respective councils, as defined hereinafter-.^
31 
[“For purposes of this Act, programs of assistance to
32 
students and teachers—of private post-secondary vocational
33 
and technical institutions and higher educational institutions


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shall—likewise—be—extended—to—students—and—teachers—of
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community—colleges—in—degree—and—non-degree—programs.
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Implementation of the program shall encourage- students to
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undergo post-secondary—vocational and technical and higher
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education courses in the same region where their families
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reside.]
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“The programs of assistance under this Act shall be extended
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only to [students] LEARNERS who are citizens of the Philippines.
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“The [State—Assistance—Council,—jointly—with—the]
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Department of Education (DEPED) [, Culture and Sports (DECS),
11 
the CHED and the TESDA] shall formulate measurement
12 
standards for the [evaluation of-the quality of courses as well as
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the standing and status] ACCREDITATION AND QUALITY
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ASSURANCE of [the] recipient institutions.
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[“Within five (5[ years-from the approval of this Act,- the
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assistance shall be given to schools: Provided, That the present
17 
allocation-of the tuition fee and other income of the schools
18 
shall be used at the same proportion and allocation as provided
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by lawv]”
20
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SEC. 4. SEC. 4 of Republic Act No. 6728, as amended, is hereby futher
22 
amended to read as follows:
23 
“SEC. 4. Forms of Assistance. — [Assistance to private
24 
education—shall—consist—of—assistanc-e—to—students—and
25 
assistance to teachers^] The following are THE forms of assistance
26 
to [students] LEARNERS in private BASIC education SCHOOLS;
27 
“(1) Tuition fee [supplements] SUBSIDY [for students in
28 
private high schools, including students in vocational and
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technical courses]; AND
30 
“(2) [High—School] BASIC EDUCATION [Textbook]
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LEARNING MATERIALS Assistance Fund.[: Provided, That the
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textbook-assistance per student in private high schools shall
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be determined by-the-council and-shall not exceed what


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students in public high-schools are provided on a per student
2 
basis—under—a—comprehensive—textbook—program—of the
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Secondary—Education—Development—Program—(SEDP):
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Provided, further, That the textbook- assistance shall be
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granted only to beneficiaries of tuition fee supplements and
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educational service contracting scheme provided in this Act;
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“(3)—Expansion—of the—existing—Educational—Service
8 
Contracting (ESC) Scheme;
9 
“(4)—The—voucher—system—of the—Private—Education
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Student Financial Assistance Program (PESFA);
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^4^)—Scholarship—grants—to—students—graduating—as
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valedictorians and salutatorians from secondary schools;
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“(6) Tuition fee supplements to students in private
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colleges and universities; and
15
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“The following are THE forms of assistance to teachers [and
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faculty] in private BASIC education SCHOOLS:
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“(1) In-service training fund [for teachers in private high
19 
schools]; and
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“(2) [College Faculty Development Fund] TEACHERS’
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SALARY SUBSIDY FUND.”
22
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SEC. 5. SEC. 5 of Republic Act No. 6728, as amended, is hereby further
24 
amended to read as follows:
25 
“SEC. 5. Tuition Fee [Supplements for Students in Private
26 
High Schools] SUBSIDY. - [(1) Financial Assistance for tuition
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for students] TO COMPLY WITH THE STANDARD CLASSROOM-
28 
LEARNER RATIO BY DECONGESTING OVERCROWDED
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CLASSROOMS IN PUBLIC BASIC EDUCATION SCHOOLS,
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TUITION FEE SUBSIDY FOR LEARNERS in [private high] SUCH
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schools shall be provided by the government through a voucher
32 
system: [in the following manner: ^^a) For students enrolled in
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schools-charging an amount as may be determined by the State


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Assistance Council, the government shall provide them with a
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voucher in such an amount as may be—determined by the
3 
council:] PROVIDED, THAT LEARNERS BELONGING TO LOW
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INCOME HOUSEHOLDS SHALL BE PRIORITIZED: PROVIDED,
5 
FURTHER, THAT ALTERNATIVE LEARNING SYSTEM
6 
(ALS) COMPLETERS UNDER REPUBLIC ACT NO. 11510,
7 
OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE “ALTERNATIVE LEARNING
8 
SYSTEM ACT”, SHALL BE AUTOMATIC RECIPIENTS OF THE
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SUBSIDY.
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THE AMOUNT OF THE VOUCHER SHALL BE DETERMINED
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BY THE DEPED AND SHALL BE REVIEWED EVERY THREE (3)
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YEARS: Provided, That the government shall reimburse the
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[vouchers - from the] schools concerned within [one hundred
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twenty (120)] SIXTY (60) days from the close of the registration
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period. THE DEPED SHALL FURTHER ENSURE QUALITY
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STANDARDS FOR SUCH SCHOOLS TO QUALIFY AS RECIPIENT
17 
INSTITUTIONS.
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[-(2) Assistance under paragraph (1), subparagraph (a) shall
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be guaranteed to all private high schools participatmg-in-the
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program for a number of slots as of the effectivity of this Act
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as-the-total number of students who availed of tuition fee
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supplements for school-year 1997-1998: Provided, That the
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State Assistance Council may in subsequent years determine
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additional slots and/or-additional participating high schools as
25 
may be deemed necessary.]”
26
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SEC. 6. SEC. 6 of Republic Act No. 6728, as amended, is hereby further
28 
amended to read as follows:
29 
“SEC. 6. [High School] BASIC EDUCATION [Textbook]
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LEARNING MATERIALS Assistance Fund. — There shall be
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established in the [Department of Education, Culture and Sports
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(DECS)] DEPED, a [High School] BASIC EDUCATION [Textbook]
33 
LEARNING MATERIALS Assistance Fund, so that assistance on a


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per [student] LEARNER basis shall be given to [students]
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LEARNERS enrolled in private schools exclusively for the purchase
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of [high school] BASIC EDUCATION [textbooks] LEARNING
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MATERIALS [^—in—support—of the—implementation—of the
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Secondary Education Development Program]: Provided, That the
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[textbook] LEARNING MATERIALS assistance per [student]
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LEARNER in private [high] BASIC EDUCATION schools shall be
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determined by the [council] DEPED and shall not exceed what
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[students] LEARNERS in public [high] BASIC EDUCATION
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schools are provided on a per [student] LEARNER basis: Provided,
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further, That the [textbook] LEARNING MATERIALS assistance
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shall be granted only to [beneficiaries] RECIPIENTS of THE
13 
tuition fee [supplements and educational-service contracting
14 
scheme] SUBSIDY AS provided in this Act.”
15
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SEC. 7. Sections 7 (Expansion of the Existing Educational Service
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Contracting (ESC) Scheme), 8 (Assistance to College Freshmen), 9 (Further
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Assistance to Students in Private Colleges and Universities), 10 (Education
19 
Loan Fund), and 11 of Republic Act No. 6728, as amended, are hereby deleted.
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SEC. 8. SEC. 12 of Republic Act No. 6728, as amended, is hereby
22 
further amended to read as follows:
23 
“SEC. 12. In-service Training Fund (Inset Fund). — For the
24 
purpose of improving the quality of teaching in private [secondary]
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BASIC education SCHOOLS, there is hereby established in the
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[Department of Education, Culture and Sports] DEPED an Inset
27 
Fund to provide for the upgrading of knowledge and teaching
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competencies in critical subject areas and for the modernization of
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teaching techniques and strategies, including training in the use of
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[computers and of other multi-media] educational technologies
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to assist instruction: Provided, That the Inset Fund shall be
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available only to qualified licensed teachers in participating private
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[^^i^] BASIC EDUCATION schools as determined by the [State


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Assistance Council] DEPED; Provided, further, That the amount of
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Inset Fund available to private [secondary] BASIC education
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SCHOOLS shall not exceed that available to public [secondary]
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BASIC education SCHOOLS on a per capita basis.”
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SEC. 9. Section 13 (College Faculty Development Fund) of Republic Act
7 
No. 6728, as amended, is hereby deleted.
8
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SEC. 10. SEC. 14 of Republic Act No. 6728, as amended, is hereby
10 
further amended to read as follows:
11 
“SEC. 14. Teachers' Salary Subsidy Fund. — A Teachers’
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Salary Subsidy Fund is hereby established in the [DECS] DEPED
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to grant government subsidy to teachers in private [high] BASIC
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EDUCATION schools participating in the [programs of assistance]
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VOUCHER SYSTEM AS provided in this Act: Provided, THAT
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PRIORITY SHALL BE GIVEN TO HIGH PERFORMING
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TEACHERS USING STANDARDS-BASED ASSESSMENTS,
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PERFORMANCE EVALUATIONS, OR OTHER APPROPRIATE
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MEASURES OF TEACHING COMPETENCE: PROVIDED,
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FURTHER, That the total monthly salary which includes the
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subsidy to be received by such private [high] BASIC EDUCATION
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[school] teachers shall not be more than eighty percent (80%) of
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the salary of [his] THEIR counterparts in the public sector:
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Provided, furtherMORE, That the amount of monthly subsidy shall
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not exceed the amount of any monthly salary increase that teachers
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in public high schools shall after the effectivity of this Act
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hereinafter receive: Provided, furtherMORE, That private [high]
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BASIC EDUCATION [school] teachers qualified to receive THE
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subsidy under this Act are duly licensed by the Professional
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Regulation Commission: Provided, [further] FINALLY, That the
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[government] DEPED shall provide them with a [voucher for the]
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salary subsidy which shall be [reimbursed] PAID OUT directly to
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the teachers within [sixty (60)] THIRTY (30) days after the close


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of the school year upon submission of proof of qualification and
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actual teaching service in [a] participating private [high] BASIC
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EDUCATION schools [: Provided, finally, That the present
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allocation out of increases from tuition and other income shall
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be maintained: Provided, finally, That in case of insufficiency
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of funds, priority shall be given to married teachers supporting
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a family].”
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SEC. 11. SEC. 15 of Republic Act No. 6728, as amended, is hereby
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further amended to read as follows:
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“SEC. 15. Program Administrationj/I; Rules and Regulations. —
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The [State Assistance Council] DEPED shall be responsible for
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policy guidance and direction, monitoring and evaluation of new
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and existing programs, [and the] promulgation of the rules and
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regulations, [while the Department of Education, Culture and
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Sports,- shall be responsible for] day to day administration[,] and
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program implementation for the programs of assistance to private
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[secondary] BASIC education SCHOOLS [,—post-secondary
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vocational and technical- education and higher education;
20 
respectively]. Likewise, it may engage the SUPPORT services [and
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support] of any [qualified] RELEVANT government or QUALIFIED
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private [entity—for its] ENTITIES TO ASSIST IN THE
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implementation OF THE PROGRAMS UNDER THIS ACT:
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PROVIDED, THAT THE ENGAGEMENT OF PRIVATE ENTITIES
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UNDER THIS SECTION SHALL BE SUBJECT TO
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PROCUREMENT LAWS AND REGULATIONS, AND SUCH
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PRIVATE ENTITIES SHALL BE SUBJECT TO THE POWER AND
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AUTHORITY OF THE COMMISSION ON AUDIT WITH RESPECT
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TO THE USE OF PUBLIC FUNDS RECEIVED PURSUANT TO
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THIS ACT.
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["The State Assistance Council, hereinafter known as the
32 
Council, shall be headed by the Secretary of Education, Culture
33 
and Sports as chairperson, the chairperson of the CHED and


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the director-general of the TESDA as co-chairpersons, with
2 
representatives from the National Economic and Development
3 
Authority, the Department of Budget and Management, the
4 
Department of Science and Technology, and representatives
5 
from—duly—organized—nationwide—associations—of teachers,
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students, parents, and school administrators concerned with
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secondary, post secondary vocational and technical education
8 
and higher education as members. The last three (3) members
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shall be appointed by the Council upon the recommendation
10 
of their respective sectors for a term of-one (1) school year
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subject to re-appointment for a maximum term of four (4)
12 
school years. A representative each from the Committees on
13 
Education of both Houses of Congress shall be designated
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resource persons to the Council.]
15 
["The Council shall meet, from time to time, as the need
16 
arises;- to assess the effectivity of the programs and to ensure
17 
that the secondary schools, post secondary vocational and
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technical—institutions—and—higher—educational—institutions
19 
where student recipients are—enrolled continue to provide
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quality education. For this purpose, the Council shall establish
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criteria,—to—determine—which—secondary—schools;—post-
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secondary vocational and technical institutions and higher
23 
educational institutions may continue to enroll students and
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teachers/faculty as recipients of government assistance under
25 
this Act.]”
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SEC. 12. Transitory Provision. - Upon the effectivity of this Act,
28 
recipients of the Educational Service Contracting Scheme under Republic Act
29 
No. 6728, as amended, shall become voucher recipients under Sec. 5 herein:
30 
Provided, That they meet the criterion on financial need under Sec. 3.
31 
Further, all forms of assistance for post-secondary education programs
32 
under Republic Act No. 6728, as amended, shall be transferred to and
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managed by the Unified Student Financial Assistance System for Tertiary
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Education (UniFAST) Board, as created by Republic Act No. 10687, otherwise 
known as the “Unified Student Financial Assistance System for Tertiary 
Education (UniFAST) Act.”
SEC. 13. Annual Report. - Three (3) years after the effectivity of this Act, 
the DepEd shall commence the submission of annual reports on the status of 
its implementation to the Committee on Basic Education of the Senate and 
the Committee on Basic Education and Culture of the House of 
Representatives.
SEC. 14. Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR). - The DepEd, in 
consultation with the DBM, relevant government agencies, and other 
education stakeholders, shall formulate and issue the rules and regulations 
within sixty (60) days after the effectivity of this Act. The IRR issued pursuant 
to this section shall take effect thirty (30) days after its publication in a 
newspaper of general circulation.
SEC. 15. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part of this Act is 
declared invalid or unconstitutional, the other provisions hereof which are 
not affected thereby shall continue to be in full force and effect.
SEC. 16. Repealing Clause. - All other laws, executive orders, 
presidential decrees, administrative orders, rules and regulations, issuances, 
or parts thereof inconsistent with or contrary to the provisions of this Act are 
hereby repealed or amended accordingly.
SEC. 17. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after 
its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.
Approved,
11