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FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
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OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
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SENfffBB 
S. No. ___ -=-
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Constitution, Article XIV, Section 2 (1) mandates that the State shall: 
SEC. 2 (1). Establish, maintain, and support a complete, adequate, and 
integrated system of education relevant to the needs of the people and 
society. 
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Philippines is the only country that maintains a 10-year mandatory schooling 
requirement, as compared to the 12-year standards in other countries. Though efforts have been 
made to improve the quality of our primary and secondary education, we have still a long way to 
go in meeting the global readiness standard for higher education. Many of our students remedy 
the situation in the higher education fora. To further complicate the matter, poverty has led the 
students to prolong their stay in the universities to be able to maintain a job while studying for 
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their degrees. 
By encouraging programs that assist remedial education in colleges and universities, we 
would be able to assist our students to cope with the ever increasing global standards. By 
encouraging programs that credits work programs, we allow our stl1dents to earn their degrees 
while maintaining jobs which assist their learning. 
This bill seeks to establish a program that would encourage institutions of higher 
education to develop programs to remedy the shortcomings of our basic education and allow 
creditable work programs for our underprivileged students. I 
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J This bill was originally filed in the Fourteenth Congress, Second ReglJlar Session 


FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
) 
, ! 
: 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
) 
SENATE 
S. No. 1688 
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Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
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AN ACT 
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TO PROVIDE GRANTS TO COLLEGES TO IMPROVE REMEDIAL EDUCATION, TO 
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CUSTOMIZE REMEDIATION TO STUDENT CAREER GOALS, AND TO HELP 
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STUDENTS MOVE RAPIDLY FROM REMEDIATION INTO FOR-CREDIT OCCUPATION 
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PROGRAM COURSES AND THROUGH PROGRAM COMPLETION 
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Be it enacted by the 'Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
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Congress assembled: 
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SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Bridges from Jobs to Careers 
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Act." 
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SECTION 2. Authorization of Program. - The Secretary of Education, hereinafter 
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referred to as Secretary, shall award grants, on a competitive basis, to institutions of higher 
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education for the purposes of improving remedial education, including English language 
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instruction, to customize remediation to student career goals, and to help students move rapidly 
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from remediation into for-credit occupational program courses and through program completion. 
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The grants shall focus in particular on creating bridges to for-credit occupational certificate 
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programs that are articulated to degree programs. 
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SECTION 3. Application - An eligible institution seeking a grant under this section shall 
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submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing such 
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information as the Secretary may require. 
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SECTION 4. Priorities. - The Secretary shall give priority to applications that-
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A. are from institutions of higher education' in which not less than 50 percent of the 
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institution's entering first-year students are enrolled in developmental courses to bring 
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reading, writing, or mathematics skills up to college-level; and 
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B. propose to replicate practices that have proven effective with adults and to 
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applications that propose to collaborate with adult education providers. 
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SECTION 5. Peer Review. - The Secretary shall convene a peer review process to review 
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applications for grants under this section and to make recommendations to the Secretary 
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regarding the selection of grantees. 
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SECTION 6. Mandatory Activity. - An eligible institution that receives a grant under this 
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section shall use the grant funds to create workforce bridge programs that customize 
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developmental education curricula, including English language instruction, to the content of the 
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for-credit occupational certificate or degree programs, or clusters of programs, in which 
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developmental education students seek to enroll. Such bridge programs may include those that 
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integrate the ,curricula and the instruction of both remediation and college-level coursework or 
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dual enroll students in remediation and college-level coursework. 
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SECTION 7. Permissible Activities. - An eligible institution that receives a grant under 
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this section, in addition to creating workforce bridge programs, may use the grant funds to carry 
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out the following: 
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A. Design and implement il1llovative ways to improve retention in and completion of 
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developmental education courses, including but not limited to enrolling students in 
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cohorts, accelerating course content, integrating remediation and college-level 
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curricula and instruction, dual enrolling students in remediation and college-level 
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courses, tutoring, providing counseling and other supportive services, and giving 
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small, material incentives for attendance and performance. 
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B. In consultation with faculty in the applUpriate departments, redesignating class 
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schedules to meet the needs of working adults, such as by creating evening, weekend, 
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modular, compressed, distance learning formats or other alternative schedules. 
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C. Improving the quality of teaching in remedial courses through professional 
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.development, reclassification of such teaching positions, or other means the eligible 
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institution determines appropriate. 
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D. Any other activities the eligible institution and the Secretary determine will promote 
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retentibn of and completion by students att.ending institutions of higher education. 
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E. Fully advise students on the range of options and programs available, which may 
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include: diploma; certification; 2-year degree; associate's degree; transfer degree to 
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upper division; and career options. 
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SECTION 8. Grant Period. - Grants made under this section shall be for a period of not 
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less than 36 months and not more than 60 months. 
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SECTION 9. Technical Assistance. - The Secretary shall provide technical assistance to 
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grantees under this section throughout the grant period. 
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SECTION 10. Evaluation. - The Secretary shall conduct an evaluation of program 
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impacts under the demonstration program, and shall disseminate to the public the findings from 
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the evaluation and information on best practices. The Secretary is encouraged to partner with 
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other providers of funds, such as private foundations, to allow for use of a random assignment 
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evaluation in at least one of the demonstration sites. 
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SECTION 11. Appropriations. - To carry out the provisions of this Act, such amount as 
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hereby necessary is hereby authorized to be appropriated from the National Treasury. 
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SECTION 12. Separability Clause. - If any plUvision or part hereof, is held invalid or 
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unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall remain 
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valid and subsisting. 
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SECTION 13. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive 
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order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to or is inconsistent 
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with the provision of this Act is hereby repealed, modified, or amended accordingly. 
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SECTION 14. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
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publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
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Approved, 
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