LAWS GOVERNING

HIGHER EDUCATION IN
THE PHILIPPINES
GENERAL LEGAL BASES ON
HIGHER EDUCATION IN
THE PHILIPPINES
1. REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7722
-An act creating the commission on higher education,
appropriating funds therefore and for other purposes.
-This Act shall be known as the "Higher Education Act
of 1994."
-Established on May 18 1994
-The governing body that covers both public and
private higher education institutions in the Philippines
is the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), and
created in view of the
broad agenda for reforms that resulted from the
Congressional Commission on Education
(EDCOM) report.

-The governing body that covers both public

and private higher education institutions in the
Philippines is the Commission on Higher
Education (CHED), and created in view of the
broad agenda for reforms that resulted from the
Congressional Commission on Education
(EDCOM) report.
 Laws Related to
Finance and Support
1. REPUBLIC ACT No. 10931

-An act promoting universal access to quality tertiary

education by providing for free tuition and other school fees
in state universities and colleges, local universities and
colleges and state-run technical-vocational institutions,
establishing the tertiary education subsidy and student loan
program, strengthening the unified student financial
assistance system for tertiary education, and appropriating
fund therefor

- This Act shall be known as the "Universal Access to Quality

Tertiary Education Act".
2. [ Republic Act No. 10687 ]
-An act providing for a comprehensive and
unified student financial assistance system
for tertiary education (unifast), thereby
rationalizing access thereto, appropriating
funds therefor and for other purposes
– This Act shall be known as the “Unified
Student Financial Assistance System for
Tertiary Education (UniFAST) Act”.
3. Repeal Republic Act № 10931or the
Universal Access to Quality Tertiary
Education Act
-Last 3 August 2017, President Duterte
signed this particular bill to law which
grants fully subsidized tuition fees to all
state universities and colleges (SUCs) in the
Philippines.
-this law must be repealed on the grounds that it is “anti-poor”.
This policy is anti-poor in the sense that most of the money that
is allocated for it does not go to the poor.

4. RA No. 10687 is actually more versatile than RA No.10931

-in that it considers the various characteristics of students who
will enter college thus providing more coverage to a wider
market. To demonstrate, Section 6 of the Act provides a national
scholarship program for “bright and talented students to serve
the public good and enlarge the pool of world-class Filipino
researchers, artists, innovators, thinkers, and leaders.”Section 7
of the law introduces a national Grant-in-Aid program.
5. Republic Act No. 364 - This act authorizes all vocational
school to collect tuition fees, receive contributions from private
persons and to contract loans from the government and private
banks and other financial institutions and to create a special
trust fund for each school.(Approved, June 9, 1949)
6. Republic Act No. 1284 - This law exempt from amusement
tax all athletic meets, school programs and exhibitions, and
other educational activities conducted by public schools, by
amending the National Internal Revenue Code.
7. Republic Act No. 5447 - This act is otherwise known as
Special Educational Fund Act.
8. “The Higher Education Modernization Act of
1997”
The law provides for the uniform
composition and powers of the Governing
Boards of State Universities and Colleges (SUCs)
nationwide, as well as the manner of
appointment and term of office of the
president of chartered state higher education
institutions.
 LEGAL BASES OF
SCHOOL
ADMINISTRATION
1. Republic Act No. 1425 – (otherwise known as Rizal Law)
- This act requires that courses on the life, works and
writings of Jose Rizal, particulary his novels NOLI ME
TANGERE and EL FILIBUSTERISMO shall be included in the
curricula of all private and public schools, colleges and
universities. These courses shall be given as a part of the
school studies and/or language arts in the high school; and
the social sciences in the colleges and universities.
(Approved, June 12, 1956)

2. Republic Act No. 1881 – This Act states that all students
enrolled in the courses in Law, Commerce, Liberal Arts,
Foreign Service and Education are required to complete at
least 24 units of Spanish. (Approved, June 22, 1957)
3. Republic Act No. 5181 – This act replaced Republic Act No.
707, as amended by R.A. No. 1881. Under the new law,
college and university students are required to complete at
least 12 units of Spanish. It is, however, provided that the
Board of National Education is authorized, in consideration of
the particular relevance and importance of Spanish, the
require additonal units for such courses as it may determine,
on the exercise of its discretion.
(Took effect during the school year 1968-1969).
4. Department Order No. 19, s. 1970 – This Department
Order increased time allotment for language arts (English)
from 30 to 40 minutes in grade 1 and 2, from 40 to 60
minutes in grades 3 and 4 from 60 to 80 minutes in the
intermediate grades.
 This Order also approved the changing of the
terminology of “Arithmetic” into “Elementary
Mathematics”, with the aim of enabling the Filipino
child to achieve a deeper understanding of the
science of numbers and mathematical concepts.

5. Republic Act No. 5946 – This law amended the

Medical Act of 1959. The act states that the “students
seeking admission to medical school must have a
Bachelor’s degree in Science or in Arts. This Act led
to the abolition of preparatory medical courses in
private schools, colleges and universities.
6. Presidential Decree No. 6-A – This decree is known as Educational
Development Decree of 1972.

Under this decree, education will aim to attain the national

development goal, particularly the acceleration of economic
development and social progress, to assure the maximum
participation of all the people in the attainment and enjoyment of the
benefits of such growth, and to strenghten national consciousness
and promote desirable cultural values of the people. To accomplish
those aims, educational efforts are to be directed toward broad
general education, training of manpower in the middle-level skills,
development of high level professions that will provide leadership for
the nation and extension of knowledge through research, and
systematic planning to meet changing needs and conditions.
7. “The Higher Education Modernization
Act of 1997”
The law provides for the uniform
composition and powers of the Governing
Boards of State Universities and Colleges
(SUCs) nationwide, as well as the manner
of appointment and term of office of the
president of chartered state higher
education institutions.
Laws Related to
Students
1. REPUBLIC ACT NO. 8049
-An act regulating hazing and other
forms of initiation rites in fraternities,
sororities and other organizations and
providing penalties for its violations
2. Commonwealth Act no. 80 - This Act provided for the
organization of the Office of Adult Education under the
Director of Adult Education who was appointed by the
President with the consent of the Commission on Appointment.
This office was charged to eliminate illiteracy, to provide for
vocational guidance, and to give citizenship training.
Executive Order No. 94 abolished the Office of Adult
Education under the Department of Education and transferred
its functions over to the Bureau of Public Schools, where it is a
division. (Based on the Reorganization Act of 1947).
3. Republic Act no. 124 - this law requires private schools,
colleges and universities having an enrollment of 300 or more
to employ a part or full-time physician who will conduct an
annual physical examination of their students.(Approved ,
June 14, 1947)
4. Republic Act No. 896 – This Act provides for compulsory
education of seven years and made it mandatory on the part
of the parents to enroll their children in public schools upon
attaining seven years of age. (Approved, June 14, 1947)

5. Republic Act No. 4206 - This law prohibits the collection

of contributions for the Red Cross, Anti-Tuberculosis, PTA’s,
school athletic meets, medical and dental services or any other
project or purpose, whether voluntary or otherwise, from
school children of public primary and intermediate schools.
Under this law, persons found violating this provisions
would be punished, either with fine or imprisonment in the
discretion of the court.
6. Republic Act No. 4090 - an act providing for state
scholarship in science, arts and letters and for poor and
deserving students, creating a state scholarship council to
integrate, systematize, administer and implement all program
of scholarship, and appropriate funds thereof.

7. Republic Act no. 4725 - this act amended Republic no.

4206 the collection of contribution for Anti-Tuberculosis,
Parent, Teacher Associations, School athletic meets, medical
and dental service school children and teachers of public
primary of intermediate and high school is hereby prohibited.
provided however,that this prohibition shall not cover
membership fees of school children in the Red Cross, the Girl
Scouts of the Philippines, and the Boy Scouts of the Philippines.
8. Republic Act no. 6139 - This act is known as the
“Tuition Fee Law”. This Act regulates the increases of
tuition fees in private schoold, colleges, and universities.
The law requires 180 days before effectively. The amount
of tuition fees should not be beyond 15 percent of the basic
tuition fees.
8. Presidential Decree No. 146 - This Decree is known as
the National College Entrance Examination was
promulgated with no other purpose but to regulate the
admission of students to all four year or five year degree
programs in the country so as to improve the quality of
higher education and to distribute students among
different courses, thus meeting the manpower needs of the
country.
Other Laws Affecting
School Administration
and Supervision
1. Executive Order No. 56 - This act authorizes the Director of
the Bureau of Private Schools to call upon the members of the
government examination boards for technical advice.
2. Republic Act No. 139 - This act is the present basis for the
selection and adoption of textbooks to be used in public and
private schools.
3. Republic Act No. 1147 - This act provides for the holding of
regular and promotional teacher civil service examinations at
least once every two years.
4. Republic Act No. 1265 - This act makes flag ceremony
compulsory in all educational institutions.
5. Republic Act No. 1880- An act amending section 562 and
564 of the Revised Administrative Code which prescribes the
legal hours of labor –”eight (8) hours a day, five (5) days a week
or forty (40) hours a week”.
6. Republic Act No. 416 - The law converted the present Philippine
Normal School into Philippine Normal College conferring the Degrees of
Bachelor Science in Elementary Education and Master of Arts in Education.
7. Department Order No.1, s. 1957 – (Revised Philippine Educational
Program) - This program is otherwise known as the 2-2 plan. This plan
divides the present four years secondary education into two parts, and aims
to develop greater vocational competence and to insure more adequate
academic preparation for our students.
8. Department Order No. 27, s.1972 - This Order gives the Heads of the
Institutions Authority to expel, dismiss, or suspend indefinitely, or cause the
expulsion, dismissal, or suspension of any faculty, members, employees and
students, who after investigation, were found to have been engaged or were
engaged in subversion or similar illegal activities or were known to be
active member of subversive organizations and activities.
 subversion -the act or an instance of subverting or overthrowing a legally
constituted government, institution, etc.
9. Department Order No. 30, s.1972 - This order
prescribed the use of Identification Cards by all bonafide
students, faculty and staff members in each institution.
10. Department Order No. 33, s.1972 - The standard
operating procedure for screening university personnel
were spelled out in this Order.
11. Department Order No. 32, s.1972 - This order granted
academic freedom to Faculty members under certain
conditions.
12. Department Oder No.42 s.1972 - The major point of
this order is to stimulate students and faculty members of
colleges and universities to have build a New Society within
the context of the Decree issued in pursuance of
Proclamation 1081.
 Circulars Which
Affect School
Administration And
Supervision
1. B.P.S. Circular No.1, s.1946 – (Admission of U.S.
Veterans into Public Schools) - Discharged Filipino
veterans who had been active in service with the United
States naval and Military forces and who meet certain
requirements prescribed by law are eligible for education
or training under Public Law 16 or Public Law 346(78th
Congress) in any approved schools, colleges, universities, or
other institutions of learning.
2. B.P.S. Circular No. 32, s.1952 – (Permission to Teach in
Private Schools, Colleges, and Universities) - This circular
states that a public school teacher must have rendered at
least 2 years of satisfactory service before he can teach in
private schools.
3. Memorandum No. 87, s. 1958 – Permission of Government
Officials to Teach in Private Schools During Summer Sessions.
-secure permit to teach from the proper Department
Head

4. B.P.S. Circular No. 1, s. 1958 – Requirements for the

Admission to the Law Course.
-completed Bachelor of Arts course major in Political
Science, Logic, English, Spanish, History or Economics.
-entrance certificates are required before enrollment.
5. B.P.S. Circular No. 7, s. 1960 – The New Four-Year
Curriculum Leading to the Degree of Bachelor of Arts (A.B.)
or Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Required for Admission to the
College of Medicine.
-applicants who complied with Pre-Medical
curriculum will be eligible for admission into College of
Medicine.
6. Memorandum No. 37, s. 1960 - Admission Requirement
to Nursing and Pharmacy Courses – Students intending to
take up the Nursing and Pharmacy courses are required to
complete Elementary Algebra or Geometry, Advanced
Algebra and Applied Arithmetic and Physics in the
Secondary Course. The records of such students, therefore,
should be carefully examined.
7. Memorandum No. 46, s. 1960 - Prescribing
Preparatory Military Training and Health and Physical
Education as Separate Subjects
- each have a separate grade for each growing
period in conformity with the system of grading use in
school and shall count toward promotion or
graduation.
8. B.P.S. Circular No. 22, s. 1960 – Merit and Seniority
Ranking System
-The Seniority Rule covers the following areas: (1)
Educational qualifications, (2) Civil Service eligibility,
(3) efficiency, (4) experience, and (5) educational
leadership and executive ability.
9. Memorandum No. 57 s. 1963 - Greater Stress on Correct
Moral, Professional, and Ethical Conduct.
- “Code of Ethics for Public School Teachers and Officials,
Memorandum No. 121, s. 1959. Teachers are to set the
examples of Correct Appearance, Behavior, and Speech at all
times, and Memorandum No. 123, s. 1962, School Officials
and teachers Should Be Model in their Communities.
10. B.P.S. Circular No. 21, s. 1964 – Pupils Welfare – The
Paramount Interest of Schools.
- The principal function of the teacher is to teach. All
other functions or activities are secondary. He may therefore
be assigned to various extra-curricular activities, only if such
assignment will not interfere with his regular teaching duties.
11. B.P.S. Circular No. 36, s. 1965 – Lobbying Prohibited in the
Hall of Congress and Offices. - Enjoying school officials,
teachers, and other school personnel are to refrain from
lobbying in Legislative Halls and Offices for Personnel
Interest.

Thank you &

God Bless!
 REPORTED BY:

VENUS V. MACATO
EMY G. TANDAS
HEIDI G. ESTOLAS
ROSE JASMIN P. BANG-OA
 QUESTIONS:

1. WHY DO LEGAL BASES IN HIGHER EDUCATION

IMPORTANT TO THE FOLLOWING?
A. STUDENTS
B. INSTRUCTORS

2. HOW DO YOU RELATE LAWS GOVERNING HIGHER

EDUCATION TO QUALITY EDUCATION?