SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES) 
First Regular Session 
) 
SENATE 
S. B. 141 
Introduced by SENATOR CYNTHIA VILLAR 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
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JUL -1 P 2 :29 
It is a prevalent view that the usual path a person takes in order to land a good 
job or be successful in one's career is by acquiring a college diploma. Sending children 
who finished high school to technical-vocational school is not the usual option being 
taken even by traditional families, even with meager resources, because of the common 
view that finishing tech-voc courses would not be enough for the graduates to land 
good-paying jobs and improve the quality of their families' life. Besides, they think that if 
they opt to acquire college education afterwards, tech-voc graduates have to start 
taking the curriculum of first year college again and the subjects taken in the tech-voc 
institutions will not be credited. Hence, many parents work truly hard just to send their 
children to college and finally acquire the much-coveted college diploma. 
Of recent times, our country produces around 500,000 fresh college graduates 
yearly. 
Yet, it is sad reality that most of these fresh college graduates experience 
severe difficulty in finding jobs in accord with the field of their education. Surprisingly, 
statistics showed that most of our fresh college graduates do not have, the skills needed 
for the available vacancies in the job market. This results to "structural unemployment" 
or the situation where there is a mismatch between the actual qualifications and 
competencies of workers looking for jobs, and the qualifications and competencies that 
industries and companies need for their available job vacancies. 
As one of the solutions to this structural unemployment, the ladderized interface 
between technical-vocational education and training (TVET) and higher education (HE) 
has been introduced. Through the ladderized system, tech-voc graduates of technical-
vocational institutions will be able to pursue higher educational courses offered in 
colleges and universities without having to lose credit on what they have already earned 
or completed in a tech-voc program. Even after 1 to 2 years of technical-vocational 
education and training where graduates are armed with the necessary skills, 
knowledge, attitudes and values needed to get into a job or establish their own 
business, they could pursue higher education if they so desire without having to start all 
over again as appropriate credits will be given. This system will articulate tech-voc to a 
number of higher education options with the attendant credits earned. It is a flexible 
mechanism which provides for an efficient and effective mechanism to allow individuals 
to continuously improve themselves (life-long learning) without being hampered of their 
initial choice in the past regarding their educational career or even by their socio-
economic conditions. 
The purpose of this Ladderized Education is to open up pathways of 
opportunities for career and educational progression of students and workers. It intends 
to create a seamless and borderless education and training that allows mobility in terms 
of flexible entry and exit into the educational system. In essence, ladderized education 
is an empowering tool because it provides options or choices to the students and 
workers on when to enter and to exit in the educational ladder. Significantly, it creates 


job platforms at every exit and provide students with opportunities to get jobs and earn 
income. 
This bill seeks to strengthen the Ladderized 
Education in the country which 
offers education responsive to the needs of the present times and of our people. 
In view of the foregoing, I recommend the approval of this bill. 
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1 
SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES) 
First Regular Session 
) 
SENATE 
S. B. 1 ~ 1 
Introduced by SENATOR CYNTHIA VILLAR 
AN ACT 
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JUL ·-1 
P2 :29 
..... 'BY:~L 
STRENGTHENING THE LADDERIZED INTERFACE BETWEEN 
TECHNICAL-VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING AND HIGHER EDUCATION 
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 "Ladderized 
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Education Act of 2013. " 
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SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. -
In line with the Constitutional guarantee of the 
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State to promote the right of all citizens to quality and accessible education at all levels 
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and to establish, maintain and support a complete, adequate and integrated system of 
, 
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education relevant to the needs of the people and contributory to national development, 
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it is hereby declared the policy of the State to institutionalize the ladderized interface 
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between technical-vocational education and training (TVET) and higher education to 
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open the pathways of opportunities for career and educational progression of students 
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and workers, create a seamless and borderless education, empower students and 
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workers to exercise options or to choose when to enter and exit in the educational 
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ladder, and provide job platforms at every exit as well as the opportunity to earn income. 
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The State likewise recognizes and supports the promotion and protection of the 
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inherent academic freedom enjoyed by all institutions of higher learning. For this 
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purpose, the government shall have due regard to the academic standards, equity 
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principles, promptness and consistency of the applications/admissions and equivalency 
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policies of higher education institutions (HEls). 
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SEC. 3. Definition of Terms. - For purposes of this Act, the following terms are 
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hereby defined: 
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(a) 
(b) 
(c) 
(d) 
(e) 
(f) 
(g) 
(h) 
Articu/ation refers to a process which allows students to make the smooth 
transition from one course, program or educational level 
to the next 
without experiencing duplication of learning. The guiding principle of 
articulation is that no student should repeat the same course content for 
which credit has already been received, even if elsewhere or from another 
institution. In general, an articulated program allows a student to move 
from technical-vocational (Tech-Voc) course to a College Degree 
Program, using the principle of Credit Transfer; 
Credit refers to the value given to a course; 
Credit Transfer refers to the recognition and carrying forward of credits 
that constitute overlapping learning, from TVET to a degree program; 
Embedded Tech-Voc Qualification in a Ladderized Degree Program refers 
to the process of determining the TVET competencies/qualifications that 
lead to job platforms in the relevant higher education or bachelor's degree 
program. A student of a ladderized degree program can earn full TVET 
qualification should he/she choose to exit from the program and get a job; 
Qualification refers to a formal certification that a person has successfully 
achieved specific learning outcomes relevant to the identified academic, 
industry or community requirements; 
Equiva/ency refers to a process that involves aSSigning equivalent 
academic credits to the competencies demonstrated by a student through 
assessment tests, thereby providing entry points to the next higher level 
qualification, the purpose of which is to provide opportunities to the 
student to continue to learn andlor to re-enter the educational program at 
a higher level without having to unnecessarily retake courses in which a 
student already has demonstrated competence and knowledge; 
Recognition of Prior Learning refers to the acknowledgment of a persons' 
skills and knowledge through previous training, work or life experience, 
which may be used to grant status or credit for acquired competencies; 
Job Platform refers to the gateway-in the ladderized curriculum which one 
reaches upon acquiring enough skills and knowledge to seek and find 
employment; 
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(i) 
Ladderized Education refers to the harmonization of all education and 
training mechanisms that allow students and workers to progress between 
Tech-Voc and College courses and programs, or vice-versa. It opens 
opportunities for career and educational advancement to students and 
workers, creates a seamless and borderless education and training 
system that will allow transfers in terms of flexibility entry and exit between 
Tech-Voc and College Degree Programs in the post-secondary school 
educational system. 
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SEC. 4. Nationa/ Qua/ifications Framework. -
The Commission on Higher 
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Education (CHED) and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority 
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(TESDA) are hereby mandated to closely coordinate and effectively implement a unified 
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national qualifications framework that establishes equivalency pathways and access 
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ramps in ladderized education, allowing for easier transitions and progressions between 
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TVET and higher education. The framework shall include qualifications and articulation 
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mechanisms, such as, but not necessarily limited to the following: credit transfer; 
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embedded TVET qualification in ladderized degree programs; post-TVET bridging 
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programs; enhanced equivalency; adoption of ladderized curricula/programs; and 
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accreditation and/or recognition of prior learning. 
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For this purpose, CHED and TESDA shall design harmonized guidelines and 
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equivalency competency courses to enhance the delivery of high-quality tech-voc and 
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higher education courses, synchronize standards and upgrade curriculum design per 
\ 
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discipline and adopt a strategic implementation scheme, including a massive 
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consultation and information dissemination scheme. In so doing, CHED and TESDA 
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shall continue exploring and developing other mechanisms and systems that will allow 
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the interface between TVET and higher education with the end in view of creating a 
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seamless and borderless education system. 
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SEC. 5. Priority Disciplines. -
To ensure a more focused implementation of the 
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said program, CHED and TESDA, in consultation with the industry, the Department of 
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labor and Employment (DOLE), the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the 
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National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), the Department of Science and 
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Technology (DOST), the Professional Regulations Commission (PRC) and other related 
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agencies, are directed to identify priority disciplines and programs for ladderization, 
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taking into account labor market realities. Thereafter, CHED and TESDA shall 
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implement the ladderization of other disciplines, other than those presently being 
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implemented, should it be found necessary and beneficial to do so based on a 
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comprehensive study on the viability of such move. 
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Sec. 6. Enhancement of the Ladderized Education Program (LEP). 
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CHED 
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and TESDA, in consultation with the PRC, are directed to jointly devise systems, 
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procedures, and mechanisms as well as to issue, amend and update existing 
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implementing guidelines, as necessary, for the efficient and effective implementation of 
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LEP and to ensure that the objectives of the program are met. Incentives may be given 
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to HEls and Technical-Vocational Institutions to further encourage wider partiCipation in 
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the LEP. 
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For this purpose, a permanent, LEP National Coordinating Technical Committee, 
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composed of CHED and TESDA personnel, is hereby established. 
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The CHED and TESDA shall ensure that there are designated personnel at the 
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regional and provincial levels responsible for the implementation, monitoring and 
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evaluation of LEP nationwide. 
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SEC. 7. Support from Other Government Agencies. -
The PRC, DOLE, 
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Department of Education, DOST, DTI, the Department of Budget and Management and 
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the NEDA are hereby mandated to extend the necessary support and provide relevant 
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inputs towards the effective implementation of the ladderized system of education. 
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SEC. 
8. 
Scholarships, 
Grants and Loans. -
To ensure the effective 
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implementation and greater nationwide impact of the program and its accessibility to the 
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students and workers, CHED and TESDA shall endeavor to include in their respective 
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budgets the provision of scholarships, grants and loans to deserving students and 
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workers availing themselves of the ladderized system of education, in addition to the 
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present scholarship programs being implemented by CHED and TESDA 
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SEC. 9. Enabling Clause for HEls. -
To encourage application of ladderized 
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education and to ensure greater nationwide impact of the program and its accessibility 
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to students and workers, HE Is that have been granted government recognition to its 
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curriculum by CHED may opt to ladderize said recognized programs without need for 
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permit either from CHED or TESDA: Provided, That, the proposed ladderized program 
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is within the purview of the curricular matter and that the minimum curricular 
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requirements under the relevant guidelines of CHED and TESDA are complied with. 
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For this purpose, however, the HEI shall be required to submit to the LEP 
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National Technical Committee the copy of the curriculum for the proposed ladderized 
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program for monitoring and for potential objective inputs from the technical experts in 
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the said LEP National Technical Committee. 
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SEC. 10. Academic Freedom. - Nothing in this bill shall be construed to restrict 
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the HEI in the exercise of its academic freedom. The HEI shall retain the right to assess 
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the level and standard of previously completed TVET programs by an applicant-student 
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in a manner that is transparent and objective, incorporating therein its own admission 
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requirements. The applicant-student must gain admission to the HEI's undergraduate 
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program by meeting all the usual criteria and program requisites and such other 
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requirements by the HE!. 
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SEC. 11. Appropriations. - The amount necessary for the initial implementation 
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of this Act shall be sourced from the current budgets and development funds of CHED 
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and TESDA. 
Thereafter, the funds necessary for the continuous implementation of 
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this Act in the ensuing years shall be included in the annual respective appropriations of 
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CHED and TESDA in the General Appropriations Act. 
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SEC. 12. Implementing Rules and Regulations. -
The CHED and TESDA, in 
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consultation with relevant stakeholders in higher and tech-voc education, shall issue 
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within sixty (60) days after the effectivity of this Act, the rules and regulations for the 
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effective implementation of this Act. 
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SEC. 13. Separability Clause. -
If any provision of this Act or any part thereof 
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be declared unconstitutional or invalid, the other provisions, as far as they are separable 
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from the invalid ones, shall remain in force and effect. 
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SEC. 14. Repealing Clause. -
All laws, decrees, orders, rules and regulations 
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or parts thereof which are inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby 
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repealed, amended or modified accordingly. 
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SEC. 15. Effectivty. -
This Act shall 
take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
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publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of general 
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circulation. 
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Approved, 
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