TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE	
) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES	
) 
First Regular Session	
) 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
HOUSE BILL No. ________ 
Introduced by REPRESENTATIVES LANI MERCADO-REVILLA, 
BRYAN B. REVILLA AND RAMON JOLO B. REVILLA III 
AN ACT 
PROVIDING EDUCATION PATHWAYS FOR BASIC EDUCATION STUDENTS, 
AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
As of 2023, the completion rate for secondary education stands at only 
30.5%. Of those who graduate, about 45% proceed to tertiary education, yet just 
24% of adults aged 25 and above hold a college degree. For many, this is not due 
to a lack of ambition, but to the absence of a guided path. Without structured 
guidance, students are left to guess which educational choices lead to their career 
goals. 
At present, the linkages between basic education, higher education, 
technical-vocational training, and employment remain weak. Students must 
navigate these transitions on their own, with varying levels of support. Those with 
resources and access to guidance are better positioned to succeed, using the 
time as an opportunity to explore interests before committing to a career. 
However, low-income and first-generation students are at a higher risk of 
disengaging from education or abandoning career aspirations altogether. 
The Education Pathways Act seeks to change that. It aims to close the 
gaps by establishing clear, accessible, and inclusive framework for learners after 
junior high school. Under this bill, the students will be guided into one of two 
structured pathways – University Preparatory Pathway and Technical-Vocational 
Pathway. To ensure informed choices, the bill mandates strengthened career 
guidance services and competency assessments starting in basic education. The 
measure further institutionalizes collaboration among agencies to align education 
and training programs with labor market needs. 
Ultimately, this bill is not just focused on educational reform – it is an 
economic necessity. A workforce equipped with the right skills, adaptability, and 
knowledge is vital to the country’s competitiveness and long-term prosperity. By 
August 13, 2025
10:08 am
3648


giving every student a clear roadmap from school to career, we invest in human 
capital, break systemic barriers, and open doors to opportunity for all.  
If we are to secure a better future for the country, we must equip today’s 
learners with the tools, guidance, and pathways they need to reach their fullest 
potential. The Education Pathways Act is a step toward that future, ensuring that 
no student is left to figure it out alone.  
In view of the foregoing, the immediate passage of this bill is earnestly 
sought. 
References: 
WestEd Center for Economic Mobility. (2024). Five Recommendations for Creating K–16 Pathways for All 
Students. WestEd. https://www.wested.org/blog/five-recommendations-k-16-pathways/ 
Leveraging Career Pathways to Maximize Student Opportunities. All4Ed. (n.d.). https://all4ed.org/future-ready-
schools/emerging-practices-guides/leveraging-career-pathways-to-maximize-student-opportunities/ 
Philippines: Tertiary school enrollment. The Global Economy.com. (2025). https://www.theglobaleconomy.com/
Philippines/Tertiary_school_enrollment/ 
Philippine Business for Education. (2023). A Report on the State of Philippine Education . Internet Archive. 
hsttps://web.archive.org/web/20250304101644/https://pbed.ph/blogs/47/PBEd/
State%20of%20Philippine%20Education%20Report%202023  
REP. LANI MERCADO-REVILLA 
2nd District of Cavite
REP. BRYAN B. REVILLA 
AGIMAT Partylist
REP. RAMON JOLO REVILLA III 
1st District of Cavite


TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE	
) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES	
) 
First Regular Session	
) 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
HOUSE BILL No. ________ 
Introduced by REPRESENTATIVES LANI MERCADO-REVILLA, 
BRYAN B. REVILLA AND RAMON JOLO B. REVILLA III 
AN ACT 
PROVIDING EDUCATION PATHWAYS FOR BASIC EDUCATION STUDENTS, 
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 "Education 
Pathways Act". 
SEC.  2.  Declaration of Policy.  - It is the policy of the State to 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 further 
establish, maintain, and support a complete, adequate, and integrated system of 
education relevant to the needs of the people and society. 
To this end, the State shall ensure opportunities for Filipinos, regardless of age, 
background, ethnicity, disability, and association, to attain their maximum potential 
and enhance their employability by establishing inclusive education pathways that 
empower and equip the learners with the competencies that are necessary for college 
or employment. 
SEC. 3. Education Pathways for Completers of Junior High School. – Upon 
completing junior high school, the students shall choose between two education 
pathways: the University Preparatory Program under the Department of Education 
(DepEd) or the Technical-Vocational Program under the Technical Education Skills 
Development Authority (TESDA).  
SEC. 4. Career Guidance and Assessments of Students. - Career guidance 
and counseling services, including aptitude and interest assessments to assist in 
selecting appropriate paths, as provided in Republic Act No. 11206, or the "Secondary 
School Career Guidance and Counseling Act", shall be indispensable and crucial in 
aiding the students to make informed decisions about their preferred educational 
3648


pathway. 
	
The Department of Education (DepEd) shall administer various relevant 
assessments, including literacy and numeracy assessments, and National 
Achievement Tests, to all elementary and secondary students across all levels. These 
assessments aim to evaluate their competencies and strengths. The results must be 
communicated to the students and their parents or parent-substitutes to provide them 
with ample time to consider their educational and career paths. These results shall 
also serve as a guide to the DepEd and teachers in adjusting and refining their 
teaching approaches to enhance effectiveness in student learning. 
	
The DepEd, TESDA, Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Department 
of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), 
Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), Philippine 
Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Employers Confederation of the Philippines, 
Department of Economy, Planning and Development (DEPDev), and other concerned 
agencies shall develop a system or a portal where students can access data and 
information concerning higher and technical education, current career and industry 
trends and demands, and other tools that will guide the students in their educational 
and career choices. 
	
SEC. 5. University Preparatory Pathway. - The DepEd shall develop and 
implement a comprehensive curriculum for Grades 11 and 12 that prepares 
students for admission to colleges and universities. 
This curriculum shall encompass fundamental subjects to improve and 
guarantee that students acquire functional literacy and practical skills, and elective 
courses to allow students to explore their interests and meet college and university 
admission requirements of their chosen undergraduate program leading to a 
bachelor's degree. 
The DepEd shall include the University Preparatory Pathway in its education 
roadmap and collaborate with the CHED, colleges, and universities to guarantee 
alignment between the curriculum and college admission standards. Colleges and 
universities must ensure that students can easily obtain information about their 
program of study or curriculum guide to adequately prepare for their college and 
university studies. 
SEC. 6. Technical-Vocational Pathway. - TESDA and the industry boards, 
partners, experts, and practitioners, including small and medium enterprises, shall 
develop and offer a variety of technical-vocational programs based on an industry-
driven and industry-approved standards designed to equip students with practical 
skills and competencies that are at par with industry requirements. These programs 
must lead to a diploma or a higher national certificate level. The standards of these 
programs must further ensure that students develop functional literacy skills to 
guarantee their employability after completing their chosen program and passing the 
necessary assessment for certification. 
To effectively implement the programs, TESDA and its accredited technical-


vocational institutions must have a sufficient number of partner enterprises to ensure 
that the standards and training for these programs are aligned with current industry 
needs and requirements. This collaboration will involve reviewing and evaluating the 
standards every three (3) years to ensure they remain relevant and responsive to 
current industry trends, allowing TESDA to promptly develop training regulations for 
emerging skill sets. TESDA shall likewise strengthen existing industry boards and 
establish industry boards for sectors that currently lack them, two years from the 
effectivity of this Act. 
In the development and issuance of training regulations or competency 
standards, TESDA and the industry boards shall focus on higher-skill level and 
diploma programs.  
TESDA shall give preference to enterprise-based training programs for National 
Certification levels Ill and IV, Philippine Qualifications Framework level 5, and new 
and emerging skills to enhance the skills and knowledge of technical-vocational 
learners in accordance with the industry demands, and to encourage industry 
stakeholders in providing enterprise-based training, apprenticeship opportunities, and 
skills development. 
The assessments and certifications of students under public technical-
vocational institutions and TESDA-funded programs shall be free of charge. TESDA 
shall implement a system that provides subsidies to students in private education, 
industry, or enterprise for their assessments and certifications by their economic 
standing. No student who failed at least three (3) times may avail of the free or 
subsidized assessment and certification. 
SEC. 7. Honors Examination. - The DepEd, in consultation with the 
CHED, shall develop and administer an advanced placement exam, to be taken 
voluntarily by Grade 10 students in the University Preparatory Pathway, in order 
to assess their aptitude and readiness to advance to an undergraduate program. 
This advanced placement exam shall give students a grade which shall 
correspond to their level of proficiency and determine their eligibility to enroll in their 
chosen undergraduate program in a college or university. 
Students who successfully pass the advanced placement exam shall be 
deemed to have completed the full high school program without the need to undergo 
Grades 11 and 12, and shall be allowed to enroll in their chosen undergraduate 
program the following school year, subject to other requirements that colleges or 
universities may impose. 
SEC. 8. Availment of the Ladderized Education Program under Republic Act 
No. 10647. - Upon completion of the full technical-vocational program, the student 
may enroll in colleges or universities and avail of the ladderized education program for 
educational advancement. The CHED and TESDA shall strengthen existing policies 


and implementation of programs for the accreditation and recognition of prior learning 
of students. 
SEC. 9. Scholarship Programs. - To ensure that the two educational 
pathways are accessible to a broad range of students, the DepEd and TESDA shall 
maintain an educational support program including scholarships for their respective 
students that properly and sufficiently addresses the accessibility and availability of 
the pathways to the marginalized communities and learners. 
The DepEd and TESDA shall continue to make available to their respective 
students the scholarship programs currently implemented in their agencies.  
Scholarships  in all pathways shall be made available to learners with 
disabilities, indigenous learners, and those from marginalized communities. 
Prioritization shall also be given to students enrolled in programs with higher 
skill levels or urgently needed by the industries. 
SEC. 10. Program Evaluation. - The DepEd and TESDA shall regularly 
assess and evaluate the effectiveness and quality of their respective education 
pathways. The findings of these assessments and evaluations shall be utilized to 
implement essential enhancements and modifications to ensure that the curriculum 
remains relevant to society. 
SEC. 11. Support from Other Government Agencies. The CHED, DOLE, DTI, 
DICT, Department of Agriculture, Department of Science and Technology, DEPDev, 
Philippine Qualifications Framework National Coordinating Council, Department of 
Budget and Management, and other related agencies are hereby mandated to extend 
the necessary support and resources towards the effective implementation of this Act. 
SEC. 12. Transition Provisions. - The DepEd and TESDA shall develop and 
refine their respective curriculum and standards to ensure that such are highly relevant 
and aligned with the current and future needs of society and industry, including 
emerging technologies, skills, and workforce demands. 
An initial implementation phase for three (3) years shall be conducted in a 
selected number of schools from different regions, socioeconomic conditions, and 
both urban and rural settings to be determined by the agencies. To ensure the 
effectiveness of the newly developed curriculum and standards, the DepEd and 
TESDA shall conduct comprehensive assessments during this pilot phase. The 
assessments shall be accessible to the public and may undergo independent or third-
party review. The DepEd and TESDA shall refine and enhance the curriculum and 
standards after considering the feedback from various sectors, and roll out the final 
curriculum and standards immediately thereafter. 
Upon attaining the qualification standards, the teachers and instructors under 


the current Technical-Vocational Track of the Senior High School of the DepEd shall 
be given preference in hiring of instructors and teachers by the TESDA for the 
implementation of this Act. 
SEC. 13. Appropriations. - The amount necessary for the implementation of 
this Act shall be included in the respective budget of DepEd and TESDA in the annual 
General Appropriations Act. 
SEC. 14. Joint Congressional Oversight Committee. - There is hereby created 
a Joint Congressional Oversight Committee (JCOC) to monitor and oversee the 
implementation of the provisions of this Act. The JCOC shall be composed of five (5) 
members each from the Senate and from the House of Representatives, respectively, 
including a member of the minority from each chamber, to be chaired jointly by the 
chairpersons of the Committees on Basic Education of both the Senate and the House 
of Representatives. The four (4) other members from each chamber shall be 
designated, respectively, by the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House 
of Representatives. 
SEC. 15. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within ninety (90) days from 
the approval of this Act, the DepEd, TESDA, and CHED, in consultation with other 
concerned stakeholders, shall formulate and issue the rules and regulations 
implementing the provisions of this Act. 
SEC. 16. Separability Clause. - If any part or provision of this Act is held invalid 
or unconstitutional, other provisions not affected thereby shall remain in force and 
effect. 
SEC. 17. Repealing Clause. -  Sec. 4 of Republic Act No. 10533, or the 
"Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013", is hereby amended to remove the 
compulsory requirement for Senior High School in basic education. 
All laws, orders, and rules and regulations contrary to, or inconsistent with the 
provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or amended accordingly. 
SEC. 18. Effectivity. - Notwithstanding the non-issuance of the IRR, this Act 
shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the Official Gazette or in a 
newspaper of general circulation. 
Approved,