(NAR) VOL. 7 NO. 2 / APRIL-JUNE 1996; 92 OG No. 40, 6449 (Sept. 30, 1996)
WHEREAS, Section 1, Article XIV of the 1987
Constitution provides 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 accessible to all;
WHEREAS,
Section 2, Article XIV of the 1987 Constitution provides that the State
shall establish, maintain, and support a complete, adequate and
integrated system of education relevant to the needs of the people and
society and, that the State shall encourage non-formal, informal and
indigenous learning systems, as well as self-learning, independent and
out-of-school study programs particularly those that respond to
community needs;
WHEREAS, the emerging medium-term and long-term
Philippine development plans have both envisioned the expansion and
strengthening of the system of academic equivalency and validation of
the knowledge and expertise derived by individuals from relevant work
experiences and high-level, non-formal training in order to harness
their full potentials;
WHEREAS, there is a need to provide
individuals with proven competence, access to opportunities that will
prepare them for higher value jobs required for achieving global
competitiveness, advancing strategic concerns of the State and promoting
sustainable development; and
WHEREAS, it is recognized that
education and the acquisition of higher expertise are processes that
also take place in the world of work and beyond the confines of the
classroom as exemplified by the Philippine Educational Placement Test
(PEPT) of the Accreditation and Equivalency Program, the distance
education programs of pioneering higher education institutions (HEIs),
and the Dual Training System institutionalized through Republic Act
7686.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, FIDEL V. RAMOS, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the power vested in me by law, do hereby order:
SECTION
1. The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to expand and strengthen
the tertiary education equivalency and accreditation program to benefit
deserving individuals.
SECTION 2. The CHED shall discharge the
following additional powers and functions in relation to the Expanded
Tertiary Education Equivalency and Accreditation Program:
a)
certify, after thorough evaluation, the pertinent work experiences and
knowledge or expertise acquired by individuals from high-level,
non-formal and informal training toward the awarding of an appropriate
academic degree;
b) determine the deficiencies of an
applicant/awardee that would need remedial studies or academic
supplementation through formal course work in order to satisfy pertinent
requirements of a degree applied for;
c) develop, on a
continuing basis and with the assistance of technical panels and other
competent authorities, standards, creative methodologies and criteria
for a diversified mode of assessing skills, values, knowledge and levels
of competence which should include, but not be limited to, instruments
such as written examinations, practical work and/or laboratory
demonstrations and qualification portfolio assessments;
d)
deputize and/or accredit agencies, organizations and higher education
institutions which will conduct equivalency assessments, develop
assessment instruments, provide academic supplementation and/or award
degrees within their area of competence or specialization;
e)
safeguard the continuing integrity and quality measures of the Expanded
Tertiary Education Equivalency and Accreditation Program by linking and
cooperating with appropriate development and regulatory agencies and
institutions;
f) update the Social Development Committee of the
National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board on the
implementation of the program for policy coordination and monitoring
purposes; and
g) set standard fees and other administrative
charges for accreditation that will contribute to and be part of the
Special Account of the Expanded Tertiary Education Equivalency and
Accreditation Program under the Higher Education Development Fund
(HEDF).
SECTION 3. The CHED, pursuant to Section 2 of
this Executive Order, may convene as the need arises, a consultative or
advisory body for the purpose of providing broad-based inter-agency
consultation, to be composed of:
Chairman of the CHED | — Chairman |
| |
Director-General of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) | — Vice Chairman |
| |
Undersecretary for Programs of the Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS) | — Member |
| |
Undersecretary of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) | — Member |
| |
Chairman of the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) | — Member |
| |
Chairman of the National Youth Commission | — Member |
| |
Representative
of private higher education institutions to be designated by the
Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations (COCOPEA) | — Member |
| |
Representative
of the state universities and colleges to be designated by the
Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges (PASUC) | — Member |
| |
Representative of the business sector to be designated by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) | — Member |
SECTION
4. The TESDA, DECS, DOST, PRC, Department of Labor and Employment
(DOLE), and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) shall extend to
the CHED the necessary assistance and technical support in the
operationalization of the framework of continuing education and the
system of accreditation and equivalency.
SECTION 5. To ensure the
effective implementation of the Expanded Tertiary Education Equivalency
and Accreditation Program, the CHED shall organize a permanent
Technical Secretariat composed of highly competent individuals with
recognized expertise in alternative learning systems and educational
assessment. The Technical Secretariat shall provide technical support to
and shall be provided by and be lodged within the CHED. In addition,
the CHED may contract the services of external technical experts and
authorities on equivalency and educational measurement.
SECTION
6. The funding requirements for the initial year of operation of the
Expanded Tertiary Education Accreditation and Equivalency Program shall
be sourced from the Higher Education Development Fund (HEDF) in an
amount to be approved by the CHED and administered by the CHED, subject
to the standard government accounting and auditing practices. The
funding for the succeeding years shall be included in the regular
appropriations and the CHED may tap the HEDF as a supplemental source of
funding whenever necessary and required for the effective
implementation of the Program.
The CHED shall create a Special
Account in the HEDF exclusively for implementation of the Expanded
Tertiary Education Accreditation and Equivalency Program.
SECTION 7. All executive issuances inconsistent with this Executive Order are hereby repealed or amended accordingly.
SECTION 8. This Executive Order shall take effect immediately.
Adopted: 10 May 1996
(SGD.) FIDEL V. RAMOS
President of the Philippines
By the President:
(SGD.) RUBEN D. TORRES
Executive Secretary