Members of the House of Representatives are awaiting the signing into law by President Duterte of two landmark measures, namely the proposed “Philippine Qualifications Framework,” which shall adopt national standards and levels of learning outcomes of education, and the bill declaring August 25 of every year as “National Tech-Voc Day.”
Members of the House committee on higher and technical education expressed optimism over the enactment into law this year of the two significant measures.
Committee chairperson Rep. Ann Hofer (2nd District, Zamboanga Sibugay) said both bills are now in the Office of the President.
Hofer said the past year was a hectic one for the committee as it also shepherded the approval of the “Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education” that was signed into law as Republic Act 1093.
“We are just waiting for RA 1093’s implementing rules and regulations which will be released on January 22 or 24. I hope they will release these to us already. But definitely the law will be implemented for the academic year 2018 and 2019,” said Hofer.
For 2018, the committee approved the consolidation of House Bills 1707 and 5608, both seeking to create an advanced studies development program for exceptional employees from the government and private sectors.
HB 1707 and 5608 is authored by Reps. Rufino Biazon (Lone District, Muntinlupa City) and Alfred Vargas (5th District, Quezon City), respectively. Both bills seek to harness and optimize the country’s intellectual resources through the establishment of the “Pensionado Program.”
The program shall pool together all foreign and local public and private sponsorship intended for further education, enrichment and training of exceptionally able and highly motivated Filipinos employed in both the government and private sectors.
The program shall be under the Commission of Higher Education (CHED), in coordination with non-government organizations(NGOs, the private sectors and other government agencies, such as the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), and the Department of Education (DepEd).
There shall be 24 fellows annually. The scholarship shall not exceed three years. / HOR-EAG
