Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City
SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS

FIRST REGULAR SESSION

House Bill No. 6623

Introduced by Representative Carlo V. Lo;

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Poverty is the most serious problem being encountered by various sectors of our
countrymen today. One such sector is education.

On account of economic difficulties besetting our country today, private schools
are forced to increase schools fees which naturally will have to be borne by our poor
parents.

Consequently, to make effective the policy to increase school fees, school
authorities are compelled to disallow students with arrearages in school fees from taking
mid-term or final examinations unless delinquencies are first settled.

To remedy the foregoing problem, this bill seeks to prescribed a reasonable

compromise between the competing needs of students and the administration of the
schools where such students are enrolled.

CARLO Y. LOPEZ
2”* Di , Manila

October 17, 2017


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

‘SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS

AN ACT
PROHIBITING PRIVATE AND PUBLIC SCHOOLS FROM DISALLOWING STUDENTS
WITH DELINQUENT TUITION FEES TO TAKE THE MID-TERM OR FINAL
EXAMINATIONS AND FOR OTHER PURPOSE.

Section 1. Unlawful Practice — It is hereby declared unlawful for any school, public
or private, to disallow any student from taking any mid-term or final examination due to
non-payment of tuition fees subject to such terms of payment prescribed by the school
concemed and approved by the Department of Education.

Sec 2. Rights of School — Students permitted to take mid-term or final
examinations, notwithstanding their non-payment of school fees shall be subject, to the
following:

The school authorities concemed are entitled to withhold the release of the grades
of such students until the unpaid tuition fees, plus interest charges, are fully paid.

A student, with an unpaid tuition fee, may be admitted by the school authorities
concerned at the next succeeding semester's classes or at the next succeeding opening
of a new academic year, as the cause may be, until the prior delinquencies are fully paid.

The school authorities concemed cannot be compelled to issue clearance to
students with financial obligations to their schools, which are due and unpaid.

Sec 3. Obligations of Students — The students and/or parents, unless waived by
the school authorities concerned shalll be obligated to pay an interest for the unpaid tuition
fees, an amount equivalent to not more than fourteen percent (14%), per annum,
‘computed from the date of the examination taken until the tuition fee due and unpaid, are
fully liquidated.

Sec 4. Implementation Guidelines — The Department of Education shall
promulgate the implementing guidelines necessary to enforce fully the objectives of this
Act.

‘Sec 5. Penalty Imposed — Violations of the provisions of this Act shall be punished
by suspension and/or cancellation of the permits of the offending schools and fine of not
less than Twenty Thousand Pesos (P20,000.00) but not exceeding Fifty Thousand Pesos
(P50,000,00).

Sec 6. Effectivity — This Act shall take effect 15 days after its publication in the
Official Gazette or at least 2 newspapers of general circulation.

Approved.