1 
Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
TWENTIETH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILLNO. ____ 
Introduced by REP. BERNADETTE “DETTE” G. ESCUDERO 
AN ACT  
CONVERTING THE SORSOGON NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL SCHOOL IN THE 
MUNICIPALITY OF CASTILLA, PROVINCE OF SORSOGON, INTO A 
POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTION TO BE ADMINISTERED AND SUPERVISED BY 
THE TECHNICAL EDUCATION AND SKILLS DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY, TO 
BE KNOWN AS THE SORSOGON POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE, AND 
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The 1987 Constitution declares in Article XIV, Section 1 that "[t]he 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." For this reason, it is 
the responsibility of the state to create, support, and maintain a comprehensive, 
appropriate, and integrated system of education that is In line with the needs of the 
populace and society”. 
The Sorsogon National Agricultural School in Castilla, Sorsogon, originally 
named Castilla Agricultural High School was enacted by virtue of Republic Act No. 
6565 (An Act Establishing an Agricultural High School in Barrio Cumadcad, Municipality 
of Castilla in the 2nd District of Sorsogon) on 1972. It was later renamed to its present 
name, Sorsogon National Agricultural School, by authority of former President 
Ferdinand Marcos on 1974. Over the years, Sorsogon National Agricultural School has 
evolved into more than just an agricultural institute, showcasing distinctive areas of 
competencies that extend beyond agriculture. Today, the school has already 
diversified its offerings to include disciplines such as Tourism, Garments, Electronics, 
Metals and Engineering, Entrepreneurship, Health and Community Services, Land and 
Automotive Transportation, Construction, and Technical- Vocational Education 
Training. These programs are all accredited under Unified TVET Program Registration 
and Accreditation System (UTPRAS). Currently, there are 27 registered programs, 
35% of which are Agriculture and 70% are from other sectors. In view of foregoing, 
the passage of this bill is earnestly requested. 
July 3, 2025
2:14 pm
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In view of the foregoing, the approval of this bill is earnestly sought. 
HON. BERNADETTE “DETTE” G. ESCUDERO 
Representative 
1st District, Sorsogon


1 
Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
TWENTIETH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILLNO. ____ 
Introduced by REP. BERNADETTE “DETTE” G. ESCUDERO 
AN ACT  
CONVERTING THE SORSOGON NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL SCHOOL IN THE 
MUNICIPALITY OF CASTILLA, PROVINCE OF SORSOGON, INTO A 
POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTION TO BE ADMINISTERED AND SUPERVISED BY 
THE TECHNICAL EDUCATION AND SKILLS DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY, TO 
BE KNOWN AS THE SORSOGON POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE, AND 
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. This Act shall be known as the “Sorsogon Polytechnic 
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Institute (SPI) Act”. 
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SEC. 2. Conversion. The Sorsogon National Agricultural School (SNAS) 
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located in the Municipality of Castilla, Province of Sorsogon, is hereby converted into 
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a polytechnic institution, to be known as the “Sorsogon Polytechnic Institute (SPI)”, 
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under the supervision and administration of the Technical Education and Skills 
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Development Authority (TESDA). 
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SEC. 3. The General Mandate. The SPI shall restructure its technical-
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vocational education and training (TVET) curricular programs to respond to the needs 
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of the local and international labor markets for technical skills, and align curriculum 
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with current international skills standards. 
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To this end, the SPI shall upgrade its curricular standards as a post-secondary 
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polytechnic skills educational institution and provide higher level competency 
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qualifications for instructors in TESDA-registered TVET programs and certificate 
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courses. It shall provide relevant skills trainings and trade specialization courses to 
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facilitate the acquisition by the citizenry of the necessary technical skills that will 
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enhance their access to gainful employment, practical livelihood, and entrepreneurial 
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opportunities, and thus hasten the development of the host area and the adjacent 
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localities in the Province of Sorsogon into human resource and productivity hubs. 
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Priority admission to the SPI, including availment of scholarships, grants-in-aid 
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and other forms of student financial assistance, shall be given to the most 
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economically disadvantaged students, out-of- school youths, persons with disabilities, 
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and indigenous peoples in Castilla and the adjacent localities in the Province of 
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Sorsogon to ensure their development into productive and globally competitive skilled 
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labor assets. 
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The SPI shall serve as a TESDA-accredited assessment center, subject to the 
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accreditation requirements under the Philippine TVET Competency Assessment and 
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Certification System, for acquired competencies in TVET programs in the Province of 
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Sorsogon. It shall also provide teachers’ training and assistance to secondary schools 
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offering the technical vocational livelihood track under the K to 12 Program in the area 
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of curriculum designing, in coordination with the Department of Education (DepEd), 
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the TESDA and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE). 
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SEC. 4. Curricular Offerings and Training Programs. The SPI shall offer 
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TESDA-registered TVET programs, undergraduate certificate courses, and short-term 
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courses and modular trainings on preferred technical-vocational skills. It shall aim to 
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meet the competency requirements under Level V of the Philippine Qualifications 
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Framework (PQF), which is the diploma level in TVET. 
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To this end, the DOLE, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department 
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of Science and Technology (DOST), Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of 
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the Interior and Local Government (DILG), National Economic and Development 
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Authority (NEDA), business-industry partners, and other relevant agencies and 
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instrumentalities, both local and international, shall provide the necessary assistance 
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so the SPI can produce skilled manpower to supply the needs of a robust and inclusive 
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economy. 
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The SPI may establish research and technology hubs, technology development 
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farms, satellite or extension training centers, promote mobile training programs, and 
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strengthen linkages with industry partners and the academe. 
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It shall also adopt the use of innovative training modes such as information 
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technology-assisted instruction, dual learning system, open or distance education, 
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community laboratory, and such other instructional programs that will allow local 
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residents greater access to TVET program offerings of the SPI. 
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Course completion at the SPI shall be credited after a skills competency 
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assessment under National Certification Levels III to V. When applicable, TVET 
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competency shall qualify a student for academic degree recognition under the 
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ladderized interface system for tertiary education, provided that the requirements of 
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the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) are complied with. 
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The SPI shall offer skills development for higher competency qualifications in 
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areas relating to technical-industrial education, trade technology, tourism, agricultural 
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technology, business literacy, and innovation in TESDA-registered skills courses as 
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follows: 
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(a) Skills training in industrial technology and hard trades such as metal 
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and steelwork, machine fabrication and operation, heavy equipment operation, 
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automotive mechanical assembly, refrigeration and air conditioning, 
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electronics, and operation of power tools and equipment for both medium skills 
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grade and industrial purposes; 
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(b) Tourism and hospitality-related courses relating to hotel, restaurant, 
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and tourism development management; 
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(c) Agriculture and aquaculture-related trainings and skills development 
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in such areas as farming technology, fishing operations technology, backyard 
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farming 
and 
home-based 
aquaculture 
and 
propagation 
innovations, 
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mechanized farming, fishing tools and equipment operation, agribusiness and 
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agri-aqua trade technology and innovations, and relevant training seminars for 
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farmers and fisherfolk to encourage entrepreneurship and thus increase 
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productivity; 
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(d) Livelihood skills development courses for preferred skills employment 
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and small-scale entrepreneurship, including practical skills education in arts and 
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crafts, workmanship and design, high-speed sewing, dressmaking and tailoring, 
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horticulture, livestock raising and breeding, food processing technology, home 
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technology, culinary arts and commercial cooking, cosmetology, and health and 
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wellness training; 
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(e) Basic business literacy training in financial management, marketing, 
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practical accountancy, bookkeeping, office procedures, business processes and 
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application procedures, including registration, licensing, documentation, 
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business patent and intellectual property regulation, business financing and 
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investment opportunities sourcing, import-export accreditation, online home-
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based business operation, and use of social media business marketing;(f) 
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Technical-vocational occupation and trades skills such as carpentry, masonry, 
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plumbing, welding, practical electricity and installation, automotive servicing, 
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electronics servicing, personal computer servicing, and such other relevant 
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practical skills courses; 
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(g) Computer literacy and information technology-related skills, basic 
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computer operation, web development, digital animation, game development 
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and computer aided design application; 
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(h) Social communication skills development and language proficiency 
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courses in English and other languages for business process outsourcing 
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employment and overseas job placement; 
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(i) Personality development, career counseling and job placement, and 
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work ethic and values; and 
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(j) Other preferred priority skills and trades training that may be needed 
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by the people of Castilla and the adjacent localities to enhance their capacities 
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for practical livelihood, gainful employment and entrepreneurship skills. 
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SEC. 5. Compliance with TESDA Requirements. The provisions of this Act 
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notwithstanding, the conversion of the SNAS into the SPI shall become operational 
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only upon the issuance by the TESDA of a formal recommendation and certificate of 
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compliance attesting that the SPI has satisfactorily complied with the minimum 
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standards of quality it has prescribed governing the following: 
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(a) Standard procedures and guidelines for the conversion and operation 
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of a TESDA polytechnic institute; 
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(b) Operational sustainability of the SPI in terms of licensed faculty-
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trainers and personnel, equipment, training and laboratory facilities, 
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instructional materials, and other standard requirements of a TESDA-accredited 
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and supervised school; 
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(c) Sustainable funding source and regular allocation of budgetary 
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requirement for TESDA- operated schools; 
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(d) Full alignment of the training programs offered with the minimum 
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standards of competency-based quality technical-vocational technology skills 
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and the needs of the host area and adjacent localities served within the context 
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of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations integration and the PQF for TVET; 
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and 
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(e) Compliance with such other TESDA conditionalities and standards, 
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as may be necessary and applicable, on the conversion of the SNAS. 
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SEC. 6. Administration. The SPI shall be headed by a School Superintendent 
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under the supervision of the TESDA, who shall render full-time service and be 
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responsible for its administration and operation. The School Superintendent shall be 
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appointed by the TESDA Director General in accordance with the rules and regulations 
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of the Civil Service Commission (CSC) and the qualification requirements for such 
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office. 
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The School Superintendent shall pursue cooperative undertakings and 
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partnerships with locally based private and public institutions, counterpart agencies or 
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instrumentalities, and other persons as may be necessary to effectively implement this 
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Act, subject to the approval of the TESDA Director General. 
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The academic and administrative staff of the SPI shall be organized following 
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the staffing pattern of the TESDA for such type of schools, pursuant to existing laws, 
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rules and regulations of the CSC. 
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SEC. 7. Assets, Liabilities and Personnel. All assets, fixed and movable, 
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personnel, records and documents, as well as the liabilities or obligations of the SNAS, 
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shall be transferred to the SPI: 
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Provided, That the positions, rights, and security of tenure of faculty and 
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personnel therein employed prior to its conversion into the SPI, shall not be impaired, 
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pursuant to existing laws. 
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All parcels of land belonging to the government occupied by the SNAS are 
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henceforth declared as property of the SPI and shall be titled under that name: 
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Provided, That should the SPI cease to exist or such aforementioned parcels of land 
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be no longer needed by the SPI, the same shall revert to the local government unit 
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(LGU) concerned or to the Province of Sorsogon. 
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SEC. 8. Appropriations. The amount necessary for the initial funding of the 
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operation of the SPI shall be charged against the current year’s appropriations of the 
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SNAS. Thereafter, the funding of which shall be included in the annual General 
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Appropriations Act. 
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SEC. 9. Implementing Rules and Regulations. Within ninety (90) days 
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after the approval of this Act, the TESDA shall, in coordination with the DOLE, DTI, 
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DOST, DA, Department of Budget and Management, DepEd, DILG, NEDA, the 
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concerned LGUs, and such other relevant agencies and industry-business partners of 
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the host locality, issue rules and regulations for the effective implementation of this 
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Act. 
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SEC. 10. Separability Clause. If, for any reason, any section or provision of 
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this Act is declared unconstitutional or invalid, the other sections or provisions hereof 
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shall not be affected and shall remain in force and in effect. 
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SEC. 11. Repealing Clause. All laws, executive orders, decrees, instructions, 
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rules and regulations contrary to or inconsistent with any provision of this Act are 
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repealed or amended accordingly. 
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SEC. 12. Effectivity. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
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publication in the 15 Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. 
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Adopted, 
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