SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
) 
'13 
AUG -1 P 4 :51 
SENATE 
S. No. 
1202 
, 
" 
RECI.'" Li) IW:~'( 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Diploma mills or entities that sell fraudulent degrees, diplomas, or certifications, have 
proliferated in recent decades due to inconsistent law enforcement and technological advances 
such as the Internet and electronic mail. These diploma mills take many different forms but often 
share common characteristics, such as lack of accreditation or false claims of accreditation by 
agencies not recognized by the Commission on Higher Education. These institutions do not 
require previous academic records for admission. The tuition fee is charged based on the number 
of degrees purchased, rather than the number of credit hours or courses taken and the credits for 
degrees are offered based on life experience rather than academic work. In these institutions, 
students can receive degrees in far less time than at legitimate, accredited institutions of higher 
education and their faculties do not have degrees or credentials from accredited institutions. 
More often than not, the names of these institutions are very similar to legitimate, accredited 
institutions of higher education. 
Rapidly growing commerce in fraudulent academic credentials imperils the national 
security of the Philippines. The safety of the Philippine public is particularly endangered by the 
sale of fraudulent medical, engineering, science, and education degrees. Some individuals who 
obtain degrees from diploma mills are conspirators in fraudulent behavior, but others are 
innocent consumers who have become victims of financial scams. 
However, efforts to shut down diploma mills have been weak and erratic due to 
variations in the laws and agency policies, insufficient enforcement mechanisms and political 
priorities. 
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The regulation of education in the country is, in general, a State responsibility, and the 
development and regulation of academic standards in higher education is the responsibility of 
institutions of higher education. The government should have uniform standards to determine the-
legitimacy of degrees, diplomas, certifications, and degree-granting institutions. 
This Act is necessary to protect institutions of higher education, businesses, and other 
employers, professional licensing boards, patients and clients of degree holders, taxpayers, and 
other individuals from any person claiming to possess a legitimate academic degree that in fact 
was issued by a fraudulent or nonexistent school, by a non-educational entity posing as a school, 
or by any entity in violation of law.' 
• This bill was originally filed in the Fourteenth Congress, Second Regular Session. 
2 


SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
) 
) 
First Regular Session 
SENAT~ 
S. No. 
1~02 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
'13 
AUG -1 P4:57 
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AN ACT 
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REGULATING THE PROLIFERATION OF FRAUDULENT DEGREES, DIPLOMAS, AND 
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CERTIFICA TroNS ISSUED BY UNAUTHORIZED DEGREE GRANTING INSTITUTIONS 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
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SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Diploma Integrity Protection 
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Act". 
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SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. - The State shall give priority to education, science 
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and technology, arts, culture, and sports to foster patriotism and nationalism, accelerate social 
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progress, and promote total human liberation and development. 
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SECTION 3. Definition of Terms. - As used in this Act unless the context indicates 
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otherwise, the following definition of terms shall be adopted: 
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A. 
"Degree-Granting Institution" refers to any entity that offers or confers an 
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academic, professional, or occupational degree, diploma, or certificate, if such degree, diploma, 
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or certificate may be used to represent to the general public that the individual possessing such 
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degree, diploma, or certificate has completed a program of education or training beyond 
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secondary education. 
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B. 
"Diploma Mill" refers to any entity that: 
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1. 
lacks valid accreditation from the Commission on Higher Education (CHED); and 
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2. 
offers degrees, diplomas, or certifications, for a fee, that may be used to represent 
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to the general public that the individual possessing such a degree, diploma, or 
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certification has completed a program of education or training beyond secondary 
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education, but little or no education or course work is required to obtain such a 
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degree, diploma, or certification, 
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SECTION 4, List of Recognized Accrediting Agencies and Institutions, - The CHED 
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shall: 
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A. 
Make available in a regularly updated electronic format, a list of-
1. 
accrediting agencies and associations, recognized by the CHED; 
2, 
foreign degree-granting institutions that-
a, have degree-granting authority, as granted by the appropriate agency in the home 
country of such institution; 
b. issue degrees that are accepted for professional licensure, public employment, and 
admission into graduate programs of degree-granting institutions in the home 
country; 
c, are determined by the CHED to be academically equivalent to an eligible 
institution, and 
d, are located in a home country that is capable of performing an effective academic 
evaluation of the degree-granting institutions to which it issues degree-granting 
authority, . 
B. 
Modify and maintain the lists described in subsection (1) as necessary to ensure 
that the lists and the information contained in the lists are accurate and up-to-date, based on the 
most recent information available to the CHED, 
SECTION 5, Accrediting Agencies. - No accrediting agency or association may be 
considered to be a reliable authority as to the quality of education or training offered by a 
degree-granting institution for any purpose related to immigration, employment and hiring 
practices, or for any other purposes, unless the agency or association is on the list of accrediting 
agencies and associations recognized by the CHED, 
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SECTION 6. Civil Service Employment. - For purposes of applying any civil service law, 
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rule, or regulation that requires or takes into consideration a degree from an institution of higher 
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education for purposes of appointment or promotion of, or improved pay for an employee, only a 
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degree from a degree-granting institution that is on the list of eligible institutions recognized by 
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the CHED and provided to the appropriate government agency under section 4 shall be 
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acceptable. 
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SECTION 7. Diploma Mill Task Force. -
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A. 
Establishment of a Task Force - The CHED shall establish a Diploma Mill Task 
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Force (referred to in this Act as the "Task Force"). 
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B. 
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members: 
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C. 
Membership - The Task Force shall, if practicable, be composed of the following 
A commissioner ofCHED; 
A representative of the Department of Education with experience related to the 
determination of the legitimacy and quality of degrees from foreign institutions of 
higher education, selected by the Secretary of Education; 
A representative of the Department of Justice; 
A representative of the Department of Labor and Employment, selected by the 
Secretary of Labor and Employment; 
A representative ofthe Professional Regulatory Commission; 
A representative of the Civil Service Commission; and 
Two individuals from the academe with experience in higher education, the 
detection of fraudulent degrees and degree-granting institutions, or law 
enforcement related to credential fraud. 
Criteria for Membership. - All members of the Task Force shall be persons who 
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are especially qualified to serve on the Task Force by virtue of their education, training, or 
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experience, particularly in the fields of higher education, accreditation of institutions of higher 
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education, foreign higher education' standards, government regulation of ' institutions of higher' 
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education, immigration, civil service employment requirements and hiring practices, or fraud 
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prevention, detection, or enforcement. 
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D. 
Task Force Chair - At the first meeting of the Task Force, the members of the 
Task Force shall elect a member of the Task Force to serve as Chair. 
E. 
Task Force Guidelines - The Task Force shall develop guidelines, to be used for 
the development of government legislation, to identify degree-granting institutions as legitimate 
or fraudulent degree-granting institutions for government purposes. In developing such 
guidelines, the Task Force shall consider the following: 
I. 
2. 
3. 
Characteristics of degree-granting institutions that help determine the legitimacy 
of the institution, such as whether an entity-
a. offers or confers degrees, diplomas, or certificates-
i. for little or no meaningful academic work; 
ii. without requiring an appropriate level of academic achievement for the 
attainment of such degrees, diplomas, or certificates; or 
iii. without imposing academic or other requirements for admittance into the 
institutions or programs offering such degrees, diplomas, or certificates; 
b. has fiscal and administrative structures and capacity appropriate to the specified 
scale of educational operations; 
c. has resources to support claims as a degree-granting institution, including 
curricula, qualified faculty, facilities, equipment, and supplies, student support 
services, objectives of the degrees or credentials offered, admissions practices, 
academic calendars and catalogs, and a grading system; and 
d. has degree-granting authority issued by CHED in which degrees, or instruction 
leading to degrees, are offered, and is recognized by the CHED as an approved 
institution of higher education; 
The feasibility of defining the term "fraudulent degree-granting institution" 
(commonly refelTed to as "diploma mills"), and if feasible, shall define such term 
for use in government laws and regulations; 
The issues related to: 
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a. the detection of new and existing fraudulent degree-granting institutions; 
b. recognition and prevention of the practices used by such fraudulent degree-
granting institutions to avoid detection; 
c. the enforcement of laws and regulations prohibiting such fraudulent degree-
granting institutions and practices and the use of fraudulent degrees; and 
d. the prosecution of such fraudulent degree-gra~ting institutions and practices and ~ 
the use of fraudulent degrees; 
Difficulties in identifying fraudulent degree-granting institutions located in 
foreign countries, or that claim recognition or degree-granting authority from 
foreign countries; 
Means to alert and educate the public about fraudulent degree-granting 
institutions and the use offraudulent degrees; 
Laws, regulations, and other means used to address fraudulent degree-granting 
institutions and the use of fraudulent degrees; 
The potential need for coordination and cooperation among various government 
agencies to investigate and prosecute suspected fraudulent degree-granting 
institutions, and the detailed recommendations of the Task Force regarding such 
coordination and cooperation; 
The study and the report to the Task Force and the purposes for which various 
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agencies and educational institutions need to identify fraudulent degree-granting 
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institutions, and identify, prohibit, and prevent the use of degrees issued by such 
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fraudulent institutions, and the ability of such agencies to implement any 
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guidelines considered by the Task Force. 
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SECTION 8. Appropriation. - The am01mt of Five· Million Pesos (~5,000,000.OO) is ~ 
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hereby authorized to be appropriated for the Diploma Mill Task Force. Thereafter, the funds 
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necessary for the operation of the Task Force shall be included in the General Appropriations 
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Act. 
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SECTION 9. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part thereof 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 10. Repealing Clause. - All laws, presidential decrees or issuances, executive 
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orders, letters of instruction, administrative orders, rules, and regulations contrary to or 
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inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed, modified, or amended 
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accordingly. 
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SECTION 11. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days following 
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its publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved, 
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