TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE 
)
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
)
First Regular Session 
)
of dll' . UT.n'P
25 AUG “5 P4 35
SENATE 
S. No.
RHCtIVVDBV:
Introduced by Senator Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada
AN ACT
GRANTING FREE TUITION FOR GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES ENROLLED IN 
GRADUATE EDUCATION MASTERS PROGRAM IN STATE UNIVERSITIES 
AND COLLEGES
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Article IX (B), Section 3 of the 1987 Constitution states that, "The Civil Service 
Commission, as the central personnel agency of the Government, shall establish a 
career service and adopt measures to promote morale, efficiency, integrity, 
responsiveness, progressiveness, and courtesy in the civil service. It shall 
strengthen the merit and rewards system, integrate all human resources 
development programs for all levels and ranks, and institutionalize a management 
climate conducive to public accountability, x x x"
To achieve this Constitutional mandate, the Civil Service Commission (CSC) 
implements Competency-Based Recruitment and Qualification Standards to hire and 
retain the best employees to "lay the foundation for developing high performing, 
competent, and credible civil servants".1 It sets minimum qualification standards for 
eligibility, education, experience, training and competencies. In terms of education, 
higher positions in the government require the aspirants to have Master's Degree to 
ensure that the employee has the capacity and competence to deliver the
1 Competency-Based Recruitment and Qualifications Standards (csc.eov.ph)
1


responsibilities entrusted to him or her, to make sound and impartial decisions for 
the organization, and to be leaders and agents of change for the progress of the 
country.
According to the Inventory of Government Human Resource (IGHR) of the 
CSC, there are a total of 2,037,456 career and non-career employees in the 
government as of June 2024. Majority of them aspire to move up the ladder and 
assume greater responsibilities.
The cost of taking up Master's Degree varies from P800.00 to PI,500.00 per 
unit. This translates to a range of P19,200.00 to P50,000.00 tuition fee for twenty 
four (24) units to complete the degree. The said amount does not include other 
fees related to various activities for the completion of the degree.
Several government agencies, such as the Department of Social Welfare and 
Development (DSWD) and Presidential Communications Office (PCO) provide 
scholarship grants to their qualified employees who take up Master's Degree. 
However, there are many other employees in other branches of the government who 
intend to pursue higher education not only for their personal growth and career 
advancement, but more importantly, to serve the public more effectively.
The "Government Employees Free MA Tuition in SUCs Act"seeVs to grant free 
tuition to all career and non-career government employees for a maximum of two- 
year Master's Program in State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) where they have 
successfully been admitted.
In view of the foregoing, the immediate passage of this measure is highly 
recommended.
INGGOY EJERCITO ESTRADA


TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session
)
,;Vi
•V; 
of i1''
25 AUG-5 P4 35
SENATE 
S. No.
RI:G:!V>:DB';,
Introduced by Senator Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada
AN ACT
GRANTING FREE TUITION FOR GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES ENROLLED IN 
GRADUATE EDUCATION MASTER'S PROGRAM IN STATE UNIVERSITIES 
AND COLLEGES
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled:
1 
Section 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Government
2 
Employees Free MA Tuition in SUCs Act".
3 
Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is hereby declared the policy of the State to
4 
promote the enhanced professionalization of the civil service to further improve on
5 
the efficient delivery of public services to the people. Further, the State shall
6 
likewise upgrade its human resources to cope with the rapidly evolving societal and
7 
administrative requirements of a fast-moving polity. Towards this end, government
8 
workers, being an important component of the State's human resources, shall be
9 
given education advancement opportunities through adequate funding and such
10 
other mechanisms to improve their education levels, for the eventual benefit of the
11 
state bureaucracy in particular, and the country, in general.
12 
Sec. 3. Definition of Terms. - As used in this Act:
13 
(a) Government employees refer to those who are employed, whether
14 
classified as career or non-career service positions, by the National
15 
Government or any of its political subdivision, instrumentalities, and


1 
agencies including government-owned and/or controlled corporations,
2 
state universities and colleges, and local government units;
3 
(b) Graduate Education refers to higher education programs leading to a
4 
Master's Degree, as may be authorized and recognized by the Commission
5 
on Higher Education (CHED);
6 
(c) Master's Degree refers to an academic qualification granted at the
7 
graduate education level to individuals who have successfully undergone
8 
study demonstrating a high level of expertise in a specific field of study or
9 
area of professional practice;
10 
(d) State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) refer to public higher educational
11 
institutions established by the national government and are governed by
12 
their respective independent boards of trustees or regents;
13 
(e) Tuition fees refer to fees or school charges for subjects or course enrolled
14 
in by a graduate education student;
15 
Sec. 4. Free Graduate Education for Government Employees in SUCs. - All
16 
career and non-career service government employees are granted free tuition for a
17 
maximum of two-year Master's Program in any State Universities and Colleges
18 
(SUCs) where they have successfully been admitted: Provided, That non-career
19 
contractual government personnel must be employed for at least five (5) years at
20 
any time after the effectivity of this Act, to qualify for this
21 
program; Provided, further, That the government employees pass the entrance
22 
examination and other admission and retention requirements of the SUCs: Provided,
23 
finally. That the amount required to implement the free tuition fees in SUCs shall be
24 
determined by the respective governing boards of SUCs based on the projected
25 
number of enrollees for each academic years.
26 
Sec. 5. Exceptions to the Grant of Free Graduate Education. - The following
27 
students are ineligible to avail of the free graduate education leading to a Master's
28 
Degree:
29 
(1) Students who were already granted with any government-sponsored
30 
graduate education scholarship program in any higher education
31 
institution, whether public or private, in the country or abroad;


1 
(2) Students who fail to comply with the admission and retention policies of
2 
the SUC; and,
3 
(3) Students who fail to complete their Master's Degree within a year after
4 
the period prescribed in their graduate education program.
5 
Sec. 6. Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR). - Within ninety (90) days
6 
from the effectivity of this Act, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), in
7 
coordination with the Civil Service Commission (CSC), shall promulgate the
8 
necessary rules and regulations to implement the provisions of this Act: Provided,
9 
That the non-promulgation of the rules and regulations provided under this Section
10 
shall not prevent the immediate implementation of this Act upon effectivity.
11 
Sec. 7. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act is declared invalid or
12 
unconstitutional, the other provisions hereof which are not affected thereby shall
13 
continue to be in full force and effect.
14 
Sec. 8. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, executive orders, letters of
15 
instructions, proclamations, rules and regulations, or parts thereof inconsistent with
16 
this Act shall be deemed notified, amended, or repealed accordingly.
17 
Sec. 9. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
18 
complete publication in the Official Gazette or a newspaper of general circulation.
Approved,