·SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
) 
) 
) 
'14 JUN'] 
OJ') :AI\ 
SENATE 
S. B. No. ,")272 
(In substitution of SB Nos. 141 and 2154, taking into consideration H. No. 3575) 
Prepared Jointly by the Committees on Education, Arts and Culture; and Finance 
with Senators Villar, Recto, Angara, and (P.) Cayetano as authors 
AN ACT 
STRENGTHENING THE LADDERIZED INTEHFACE 
BETWEEN TECHNICAL-VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING 
AND HIGHER EDUCATION 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representativ6's of the Philippines in 
Congress Assembled: 
1 
SECTION 1, Short Title. -
This Act shall be known as the "Ladderized 
2 
Education Act of 2014." 
3 
SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. - In line with the Constitutional guarantee for 
4 
the State to promote the right of all citizens to quality and accessible education at 
5 
all levels and to establish, maintain and support a complete, adequate and 
6 
integrated 
system 
of education relevant to the needs of the people and 
7 
contributory to national development, it is hereby declared the policy of the State 
8 
to institutionalize the ladderized interface between technical-vocational education 
9 
and training (TVET) and higher education to open the pathways of opportunities 
10 
for career and educational progression of students and 
workers, 
create 
a 
11 
seamless 
and 
borderless 
education, 
empower 
students 
and workers to 
12 
exercise options or to choose when to enter and exit in the educational ladder,. 
13 
and provide job platforms at every exit as well as the opportunity to earn income. 
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1 
The State likewise recognizes and supports the promotion and protection of 
2 
the inherent academic freedom enjoyed by all institutions of higher learning. For 
3 
this purpose, the government shall uphold the academic standards, equity 
4 
principles, 
promptness and consistency of the applications/admissions and 
5 
equivalency policies of higher education institutions (HEls). 
6 
SEC. 3. Definition of Terms. - For purposes of this Act, the following terms 
7 
are hereby defined: 
8 
a. Articulation refers to a process which allows students to make the 
9 
smooth transition from one course, program or educational level 
to the next 
10 
level of qualification, between providers or sectors, without experiencing 
11 
duplication of learning. The gUiding principle of articulation is that no student 
12 
should repeat the same course content for which credit has already been 
13 
received. Articulated programs provide multiple entry and exit points and ladders 
14 
of learning opportunities. 
15 
b. Credit refers to the value given to a course or subject, 
16 
C. Credit Transfer refers to the recognition and 
carrying forward of 
17 
credits that constitute overlapping learning, from TVET to a degree program; 
18 
d. Embedded Tech-Voc Qualification in a Ladderized Degree Program 
19 
refers to the process of determining the TVET competenciEls or qualifications that 
20 
lead to job platforms in the relevant higher education or bachelor's degree 
21 
program. 
Full TVET qualification 
can still be earned even if a stUdent of a 
22 
ladderized degree program chooses to exit from the program and get a job; 
23 
e. Equivalency refers to a process that involves assigning equivalent 
24 
academic credits to the competencies demonstrated by a student through 
25 
assessment tests, thereby providing entry points to the 
next higher level 
26 
qualification, the purpose of which is to provide opportunities to the student to 
27 
continue to learn and to re-enter the educational program at a higher level without 
28 
having 
to 
unnecessarily 
retake 
courses which a student has already 
29 
demonstrated competence and knowledge; 
2 


1 
f. Job Platform refers to the gateway in the ladderiized curriculum which 
2 
one reaches upon acquiring enough skills and knowledne to seek and find 
3 
employment; 
4 
g. 
Ladderized 
Education 
refers 
to 
the 
harmonization 
of all 
5 
education and training mechanisms that allow students and workers to progress 
6 
between technical-vocational and college courses and programs, or vice-versa. It 
7 
opens opportunities for career and educational advancement to students and 
8 
workers. It creates a seamless and borderless education and training system 
9 
that will allow mobility in terms of flexible entry and exit between technical-
10 
vocational and college degree programs in the post-secondary school educational 
11 
system; 
12 
h. Qualification refers to a formal certification that a person has 
13 
successfully achieved specific learning outcomes relevant to the identified 
14 
academic, industry or community requirements; 
15 
i. 
Recognition of Prior Learning refers to the acknowledgment of a 
16 
person's skills and knowledge through previous training, work or life experience, 
17 
which may be used to grant status or credit for acquired competencies. 
18 
SEC. 4. 
Philippine Qualifications Framework (PQF). 
The PQF, 
19 
established by virtue of Executive Order No. 83, series of ,'012, has the following 
20 
objectives: 
21 
a. 
Adoption of national standards and levels for outcomes of 
22 
education; 
23 
b. 
Supporting the development and maintenance of pathways and 
24 
equivalencies, which provide access to qualifications and assist people to move 
25 
easily and readily between the different education and training sectors and 
26 
between these sectors and the labor market; and 
27 
c. 
Alignment with international qualifications framework to support 
28 
the national and international mobility of workers through iincreased recognition of 
3 


1 
the value and comparability of Philippine qualifications. 
2 
The PQF National Coordinating Committee (PQF-NCC) is composed of the 
3 
Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Technical Education and Skills 
4 
Development Authority (TESDA), the Department of Education 
(DepED) the 
5 
Department of Labor (DOLE) and the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) 
6 
and is chaired by DepED. 
7 
The following working groups are established to pursue the implementation of 
8 
the PQF: 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
1. 
2. 
3. 
4. 
5. 
Qualifications Register headed by TESDA; 
Pathways and Equivalencies headed by CHED; 
Quality Standards headed by CHED; 
Information and Guidelines headed by DepEd; and 
International Alignment headed by the PRe. 
14 
In the development of ladderized education, CHED, TESDA, and DepED are 
15 
hereby mandated to closely coordinate and effectively implement a unified PQF 
16 
that establishes equivalency pathways and access ramps allowing for easier 
17 
transitions and progressions between TVET and higher education. The framework 
18 
shall include qualifications and articulation m'echanisms, such 
as, 
but 
not 
19 
necessarily 
limited 
to 
the 
following: 
credit 
transfer, 
embedded 
TVET 
20 
qualification in ladderized degree programs, post-TVET bridging programs, 
21 
enhanced 
equivalency, 
adoption 
of 
ladderized 
curricula/programs, 
and 
22 
accreditation and/or recognition of prior learning. 
23 
For this purpose, CHED, TESDA and DepED shall design harmonized 
24 
guidelines and equivalency competency courses to enhance the delivery of 
25 
high-quality 
technical-vocational and higher education courses, synchronize 
26 
standards and upgrade curriculum design per discipline and adopt a strategic 
27 
implementation scheme, including a massive consultation and information 
28 
dissemination scheme, In so doing, CHED, TESDA and DepED shall continue 
4 


1 
exploring and developing other mechanisms and. systems that will allow the 
2 
interface between TVET and higher education with the end 
in view of 
3 
creating a seamless and borderless education system. 
4 
SEC. 
5. 
Priority Disciplines. 
As a preliminary approach 
to 
the 
5 
implementation of the ladderized program and to ensure its more focused 
6 
implementation, CHED, TESDA and DepED, in consultation with the industry, 
7 
DOLE, PRC, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the National Economic 
8 
and Development Authority (NEDA), 
the 
Department of Science 
and 
9 
Technology (DOST) and other related agencies, are directed to identify priority 
10 
disciplines and programs for ladderization, taking into account labor market 
11 
realities. The CHED, TESDA and DepED shall implement the ladderization of 
12 
other disciplines, other than those presently being implemented, should these be 
13 
found 
necessary and beneficial, based on 
a comprehensive study of their· 
14 
viability. 
15 
SEC. 6. Enhancement of the Ladderized Education Program (LEP). 
-
16 
CHED, TESDAand DepED, in consultation with the PRC, are directed to jointly 
17 
devise systems, procedures, and mechanisms, as well as to issue, amend and 
18 
update existing implementing guidelines, as necessary, for the efficient and 
19 
effective implementation of LEP and to ensure that the objectives of the 
20 
program are met. Incentives may be given to HEls and technical-vocational 
21 
institutions to further encourage wider partiCipation in the LEP. 
22 
The CHED, TESDA and DepED shall ensure that there are designated 
23 
personnel at the regional and provincial levels responsible for the implementation, 
24 
monitoring and evaluation of LEP nationwide. 
25 
SEC. 7. Support from Other Government Agencil~s. PRC, DOLE, 008T, 
26. 
OTI, NEOA, Department of Budget and Management (DBM), and other related 
27 
agencies are hereby mandated to extend the necessary support and provide 
28 
relevant inputs towards the effective implementation of the ladderized system of 
29 
education. 
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1 
SEC. 8. Scholarships, Grants and Loans. CHED, TESDA and DepED 
2 
shall include in their respective budgets the provision of scholarships, grants 
3 
and 
loans to deserving 
students and 
workers availing themselves of the 
4 
ladderized system of education, in addition to the present scholarship programs 
5 
being implemented by CHED and TESDA. 
6 
SEC. 9. Enabling Clause for HEls. To encourage the widest enjoyment of 
7 
the benefit of ladderized education, HEls whose curricula have been recognized 
8 
by the CHED may avail of the ladderization program: Provided, 
That, the 
9 
minimum curricular requirements under the relevant guidelines of CHED, TESDA 
10 
and DepED are complied with and duly certified by these agencies prior to the 
11 
formal offering of the program; 
12 
For this purpose, the HEI shall be required to submit to the CHED Regional 
13 
Office a copy of the curriculum for the proposed laclderized program for 
14 
monitoring, compliance and for potential objective input8 from their technical 
15 
experts. Failure to submit this requirement shall be subject to administrative 
16 
sanctions to be imposed by CHED. 
17 
SEC. 10. Academic Freedom. 
Nothing in this bill shall be construed as 
18 
restricting the HEI in the exercise of its academic freedom. The HEI shall retain the 
19 
right to assess the level and standard of previously completed TVET programs by 
20 
an applicant-student in a manner that is transparent and objective, incorporating 
21 
therein its own admission requirements. The applicant-student must gain 
22 
admission to the HEI's undergraduate program by meetin!J the prescribed criteria 
23 
and program requisites and such other requirements by the, HE\, 
24 
SEC. 
11. Appropriations. 
The amount necl3ssary for the 
initial 
25 
implementation of this Act shall be sourced from the current budgets and 
26 
development funds of CHED, TESDA and DepED. Thereafter, the funds 
27 
necessary for the continuous implementation of this Act in the ensuing years shall 
28 
be included in the respective annual appropriations of CHI::D, TESDA and DepED 
6 


1 
in the General Appropriations Act. 
2 
SEC. 12. Implementing Rules and Regulations. The CHED, TESDA 
3 
and DepED, in consultation with relevant stakeholders in higher and technical-
4 
vocational education shall issue within sixty (60) days after the effectivity of this 
5 
Act, the rules and regulations for the effective implementation of this Act. 
6 
SEC. 13. Separability Clause. If any provision of this Act or any part thereof 
7 
shall be declared unconstitutional or invalid, the other provisions, as far as they are 
8 
separable, shall remain in force and effect. 
9 
SEC. 14. Repealing Clause. All laws, decrees, orders, rules and regUlations 
10 
or parts thereof which are inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby 
11 
repealed, amended or modified accordingly . 
• 12 
SEC. 15. Effectivity. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
13 
publication in the Official Gazelle or in at least two (2) newspapers of general 
14 
circulation 
Approved, 
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