Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SIXTEENTH CONGRESS
‘Second Regular Session

86

HOUSE BILL NO.

Introduced by Rep. Winston “Winnie” Castelo

EXPLANATORY NOTE

In light of recent pronouncements of Malacanang to the Benilde hazing suspects to face
the full force of the (aw on the one hand and the resolve of De La Salle — College of Saint
Benilde to launch an anti-hazing drive or so-called ‘Break-away from tradition’ advocacy for the
death of one of its students due to alleged fratemity violence or hazing on the other, it becomes
incumbent upon policymakers to think of immediate and effective solution to address this never
ending culture or hazing behavior in many campus colleges or universities.

Sadly, what a research study examining hazing beliefs, behaviors and attitudes in
college students only found that while hazing occurs on campus, these hazing behaviors are not
identified by the students as hazing activities. In fact, 90% of students who identify having
‘experienced hazing behavior or activity do nat identify that they have experienced hazing

And yet, hazing as an activity has been proven to be detrimental for all parties involved
including the students who are subjects of hazing, the students who perpetrate it and the
institution overall. Besides, it can have lasting effects on the physical and psychological well-
being of students if not as a leading cause of campus deaths and often result in liability
concerns for the institution.

True enough, hazing practices, used as rites of passage on college campuses, date
back to the seventeenth century and were often used as methods for upper-class (older)
students to intimidate or punish lower-class (younger) students. It is high time to apply the
brakes for this persistently recurring cultural phenomenon and it is the intent of this bill to put an
immediate and effective stop to this rite of passage, initiation, and class rivalry. Hazing deaths
cannot and should not be a commonplace in the Philippine university landscape

in this proposed measure, the CHED is mandated to come up with the following courses
of action, namely: 1) provide a clear and single definition of hazing, 2) identify those forms of
hazing that students are most likely to encounter in their organization, and 3) clumping of
activities differentiating those found to be acceptable and appropriate and those that would be
considered hazing. This approach implies that more education needs to occur before students
come to campus in order to make them aware of the dangers they may encounter.

In other words, CHED should be able to impose upon colleges or universities what the
institution perceives as hazing and prescribe relevant rules, regulations, and guidelines for all


colleges or universities under its supervision and control. It can issue a common set of
reference on what activities could be endorsed and what could not be as they are tantamount to
be bordering on hazing,

For example, the following items could be listed down in a particular college or university
Student Handbook as constitutive of hazing and therefore not sanctioned by said college or
university, the violation of which should be meted stringent disciplinary punishment, namely:

Forced participation in a drinking game
Forced association with certain people and not others

Sleep Deprivation

Drink large amounts of a non-alcoholic beverage (e.g. water)

Be yelled at, screamed at, or cursed at by other members

Any form of humiliation or degrading behavior

Forced or excessive physical activity

House duties

Forced to perform sex acts

10. Carrying of items not associated with your daily routine

11. Consumption of food items not part of your regular diet

12. Forced singing or chanting

13, Personal Servitude (1. retrieving meals, cleaning apartments, driving)

14. Locked in or restricted to a room or basement of a house or building against your will
15. Physically punched, slapped, struck, kicked or beaten in any way

16. Study Hours

17. Drink large amounts of alcohol to the point of getting sick or passing out

18. Being awoken in the middle of the night

19. Forced consumption of alcohol

20. Dress Codes

21. Collecting active members signatures through the process of interviews

22. Paddling

23. Wearing inappropriate apparel or costumes

SONOMaREN=

Nothing in this humble measure stops the CMED or its concemed dpllege or university
from revising this hierarchy lisUmap when newer developments emerge in \he campus scene
constitutive of hazing behavior.

The immediate passage of this modest meafure is prayed for.


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

‘Second Regular Session

4686

introduced by Rep. Winston "Winnie" Castelo _

AN ACT
UNILATERALLY MANDATING COMMISSION ON HIGHER EDUCATION TO DEFINE
CAMPUS HAZING, ENUMERATE FORMS OF HAZING, AND DISSEMINATE THROUGH
PERTINENT CIRCULAR ACTIVITIES THAT COULD BE ENDORSED iN ALi. COLLEGES
AND UNIVERSITIES AS APPROPRIATE AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

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

SECTION 1. This Act shall be known as the ‘Agency-Based Hierarchy Map Against
Campus Hazing of 2014”.

SEC. 2. The Commission on Higher Education shall be the Office of Primary
Responsibility to provide a single and clear definition of campus hazing, enumerate through a
hierarchy listvariable map the forms of hazing, and clump activities that it deems acceptable
against those it deems inappropriate relative to hazing behavior.

Under this Act, CHED is hereby mandated to issue rules, regulations, and guidelines
through appropriate circular for compliance by all colleges or universities within its supervision
and control.

SEC. 3. Nothing in this Act stops the CHED and its agency-based approach against
hazing from issuing new items in the hierarchy list/variable map whenever new developments
emerge in the campus landscape or when contingencies so demand.

SEC. 4. The CHED therefore shall hold concemed colleges or universities liable in
accordance with existing laws for student deaths or injuries resulting from hazing, its variant
forms, and other similar otherwise inappropriate activities not endorsed by CHED.

SEC. 5, This Act shall take effect upon its approval and its publication in at least two (2)
newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,