Press Release
June 11, 2016

Villar authored 9 landmark laws on education

Aside from agriculture, education was also one of the areas Sen. Cynthia Villar focused on during the last three years of the 16th Congress.

A total of nine landmark laws on education were either principally authored or co-authored by Villar. Many of these bills were among those she have been pushing for since she was Las Pinas Representative and chairperson of the Committee on Higher and Technical Education.

Villar principally authored Republic Act 10647 or the Ladderized Education Act, an original bill of Villar. She was the first legislator to file a bill on this matter at the House of Representatives. She refiled the bill when she became a senator.

"Through the ladderized system, graduates of technical-vocational courses will be given a chance to pursue higher education courses offered in colleges and universities without having to start all over again as the system allows transfer of credits earned from the tech-voc courses to a degree program," Villar said in her co-sponsorship speech of the bill.

She was also principal author of RA 10650 or the Open Distance Learning Act. Villar said the distance learning program which provides for a more flexible system of education will significantly bring down the number of students dropping out of school.

"A flexible system of schooling will benefit the poor and will give poor and working students even better opportunities to continue and finish their studies," Villar said. RA 10743 or the National Teachers' Day Act was also principally authored by Villar. The act declares the 5th day of October every year as a special working holiday to celebrate Teachers' Day.

Likewise, RA 10679 or the Youth Entrepreneurship Act was principally authored by Villar. Because of this law, the promotion of youth entrepreneurship and financial literacy program will be inculcated in all levels of education nationwide.

The Entrepreneurship Education Committee will also be created which will chaired by the Secretary of the Department of Education with members composed of four representatives each from the Commission on Higher Education, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, and the National Youth Commission.

The Nacionalista Party senator also authored RA 10687 or the Unified Student Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education Act. The law mandates to allocate and utilize properly all government resources intended for students through effective beneficiary-targeting. The law also ensures regional equity in the distribution of student financial assistance slots.

Villar also co-authored the following laws:

  • RA 10665 (Open High School System (OHSS) Act - Through this act, OHSS is established as part of DepEd's alternative secondary education program to provide access to secondary education through the open learning modality. This Act shall apply to public secondary educational Institutions authorized to practice open learning through self~instructiona] materials, multi~channel learning and school-famIly-community partnership as well as other such institutions that shall be authorized as qualified implementers of the OHSS.

  • RA 10676 (Student-Athletes Protection Act) - The law regulates the residency requirement and prohibits the commercialization of student athletes by enumerating the benefits and incentives that should be given to them.

  • RA 10756 (Election Service Reform Act) - The law mandates the non-compulsory election service for public school teachers. The Commission on Elections may appoint private school teachers, national government employees, DepED non teaching personnel, members of Commission-accredited citizen arms or other civil society organizations and non-government organizations, among others.

  • RA 10648 (Iskolar ng Bayan Act) - The law provides scholarship grants to top graduates of all public high schools in state universities and colleges.

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