REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
‘Third Regular Session

8412

House Bill No.

Introduced by MAGDALO Party-List Representative
HON. GARY C. ALEJANO

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority's Annual Poverty Indicator Survey indicated a
decrease of about 352,000 out of school youth aged 16 to 24, from 3.32 million in 2016 to
2.97 million in 2017. On the other hand, PSA data showed an increase in out-of-school youth
aged 6 to 11 and 12 to 15,

The PSA data likewise stressed that around 50% of OSCYs belong to families whose
incomes were in the bottom 30% on a per capita basis. The most common reasons cited for
not attending school were marriage or family matters (37%); lack of personal interest
(24.7%); and high cost of education or financial concems (17.9%).

Clearly, formal education has taken a back seat for most Filipino families depriving them
opportunities such as appropriate income to sustain their needs. Education and lifelong
earning are essential tools in breaking the cycle of exclusion and poverty. Hence, there is a
need to provide Filipinos access to formal education.

‘There are numerous scholarships and other programs and incentives initiated by the
government in order to promote the right of all citizens to quality education. However,
information or access to these scholarship opportunities is limited. This proposed measure
seeks to establish the National Scholarship Commission in order to ensure that all available
scholarships by the government or other private institutions are made accessible to the widest
possible recipients.

Hopefully, with wider access to available free education, out citizens, will be able to avail the
same and liberate themselves from the cycle of poverty, and actively participate in national
development.

In view of the foregoing, immediate passage of this measure is sought.

Representative
Magdalo Para sa Pilipino Party-List


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REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
Third Regular Session
8412

House Bill No.

Introduced by MAGDALO Party-List Representative
HON. GARY C. ALEJANO-

AN ACT
PROVIDING A UNIFIED SYSTEM OF EXTENDING AND PROCESSING
SCHOLARSHIP GRANTS, STUDENT LOAN PROGRAMS, SUBSIDIES, BUSARIES
AND OTHER FINANCIAL SUPPORT WINDOWS FOR THE FILIPINO YOUTH,
ESTABLISHING THE NATIONAL SCHOLARSHIP COMMISSION, PROVIDING
FUNDS THEREFOR AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

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

SEC.1. Short Title.- This Act shall be known as the “National Scholarship
Commission Act of 2018”.

SEC.2. Declaration of Policy.- 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.

The State shall also establish and maintain a system of scholarship grants, student
Joan programs, subsidies, bursaries, and other incentives which shall be available to
deserving students and individuals in both public and private schools, especially to the
underprivileged.

It is the goal of the State to substantially bring down the number of out of school
youth and encourage them to continue seeking formal education, with the goal of expanding
their horizons with additional opportunities in the future, thereby fully maximizing their full
potential,

SEC.3. Duties and Functions of the National Scholarship Commission. — The
following shall be the duties and functions of the National Scholarship Commission (the
“Commission”:

a Generate, safe-keep and update a comprehensive database of out of school
children and youth (OSCY) and other qualified individuals nationwide, including
pertinent data and/or circumstance of said OSCY;

b. Identify and pin-point the reasons, issues and/or controversies that are keeping
children and youth out of schools and formal education, as well as the needs of
oscy;


¢. Reach out the OSCY and other qualified individuals and gather information
and/or data that could help them get back to formal education;

4d. Proactively and effectively disseminate information regarding existing regular
and/or special scholarships, educational grants and the like to OSCY and qualified
individuals; and

. Assist OSCY and qualified individuals who opt to avail of scholarships,
educational grants and the like and facilitate with the necessary procedures and/or
processes.

SEC.4. Composition of the National Scholarship Commission.- The Commission
shall be composed and governed by the following:

a. The Secretary of the Department of Education (DepEd), or his/her duly
authorized representative, as a co-chairperson of the Commission;

b. The Chairperson of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), or his/her
duly authorized representative, as a co-chairperson of the Commission;

¢. The Secretary of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority
(TESDA), or hisher duly authorized representative, as a co-chairperson of the
Commission;

d. The Secretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development
(DSWD), or his/her duly authorized representative, as member of the
Commission;

¢. The Secretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government
(DILG), or his/her duly authorized representative, as a member of the
Commission.

f The Chairperson of the National Youth Commission (NYC) as a member of
the Commission; and

g. A representative from the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK), who shall be elected
by all SK Provincial Federation Presidents, as a member of the commission.

SECS. Staffing and the National Scholarship Commission's Secretariat ‘The
Commission's staff, secretariat and personnel shall be appointed by the Commission. The
Commission shall convene immediately upon the effectivity of this Act to organize and come
up with its intemal rules and procedures necessary for its daily operations and the carrying
ut of its duties and functions as spelled out in this Act.

SEC.6. Implementing Rules and Regulations.- The Commission shall likewise
promulgate rules and regulations to implement the provisions of this Act within ninety (90)
days from the effectivity of this Act.


SEC.7. Appropriation.- The funds necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act
shall be included in the General Appropriations Act of the year following the enactment of
this Act, In the meantime, the initial funding, prior to the inclusion in the regular budget, shall
provide from the existing budgets of the DepEd, CHED and TESDA.

SEC.8. Repealing Clause.- All laws, orders, issuances rules and regulations or parts
thereof inconsistent with any provisions of this Act are hereby repealed, modified or amended
accordingly.

SEC9. Separability Clause.- If any portion or provision of this Act is declared
unconstitutional, the remainder of this Act or any provision not affected thereby shall remain
in force and effect.

SEC. 10. Effectivity.- This Act shall take effect after fifteen (15) days following the
completion of its publication either in the Official Gazette or in newspaper of general
circulation in the Philippines.

Approved,