FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
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OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
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SENfg:77 
S.No. __ ~~ 
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Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Constitution, Article XIV, Section 1 mandates that the State shall protect and 
promote the right of all citizens to quality education at all levels and shall take appropriate steps 
to make such education available to all. Towards this end, the State shall pursue means of 
identifying and developing other ways to make education accessible to all. 
To date, there are six institutions accredited by the Commission on Higher Education to 
maintain distance education programs. The trend for this type of education has been growing all 
over the world, online and otherwise. With the advent of the information age through the World 
Wide Web, this form of education can be a valuable tool in reaching out to the areas in our 
country which do not have access to the campuses. 
In order (0 effectively promote this method of leaming, we need to be able to secure 
additional information on this subj ect. 
This bill seeks to commission the Department of Education and the Department of 
Science and Technology to undertake a study that would generate sufficient data to guide the 
executive branch of the government in making programs and enable us to provide better 
legislation on this matter. I 
I This bill was originally filed during the 14,h Congress I"' Regular Session 
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FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
) 
SEN~1Jl 
S.No. H)77 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
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AN ACT 
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TO REQUIRE AN INDEPENDENT EVALUATION OF DISTANCE EDUCATION 
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PROGRAMS 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
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SECTION I. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Independent Study of 
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Distance Education Act." 
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SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. - The Constitution, Article XIV, Section 1 mandates 
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that the State shall protect and promote the right of all citizens to quality education at all levels 
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and shall take appropriate steps to make such education available to all. Towards this end, the 
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State shall pursue means of identifying and developing other ways to make education accessible 
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to all. 
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SECTION 3. Independent Evaluation. - The Secretary of Education shall enter into an 
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agreement with the Department of Science and Technology to conduct a scientifically correct, 
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statisticaliy valid evaluation 0 f the quality of distance education programs, as compared to 
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campus-based education programs, at institutions of higher education. Such evaluation shall 
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include-
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(A) identification of the elements by which the quality of distance education, as 
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compared to campus-based education, can be assessed, including elements such as 
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subject matter, interactivity, and student outcomes; 
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(B) identification of distance and campus-based education program success, with respect 
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to student achievement, in relation to the mission of the institution of higher education; 
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and 
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(C) by assessing elements including access to higher education, job placement rates, 
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undergraduate graduation rates, and graduate and professional degree attainment rates, 
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identification of the types of students (including classification of types of students based 
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on student age )--
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(I) who most benefit from distance education programs; 
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(2) who most benefit from campus-based education programs; and 
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, (3) who do not benefit from distance education programs. 
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SECTION 4. Scope. - The Department of Science and Technology shall select for 
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patticipation in the evaluation under subsection (a) a diverse group of institutions of higher 
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education with respect to size, mission, and geographic distribution. 
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SECTION 5. Interim and Final Report. - The agreement under Section 3 shall require 
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that the Department of Science and Technology submit to the Secretary of Education, the Senate, 
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and the House ofRepresentatives--
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(1) an interim report regarding the evaluation under Section 3 not later than six months 
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after the date of enactment of this Act; and 
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(2) a final report regarding such evaluation not later than one year after the date of 
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enactment of this Act. 
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SECTION 6. Appropriations. - To carry out the provisions of this Act, such atllount as 
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hereby necessary is hereby authorized to be appropriated from the National Treasury. 
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SECTION 7. Separability Clause. - If any provision 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 8. 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 9. 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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