An Act Converting the Camarines Sur Polytechnic Colleges in the Municipality of Nabua, Province of Camarines Sur into a State University to be Known as the Polytechnic State University of Bicol, and Appropriating Funds Therefor

Seventeenth Congress
Third Regular Session

Begun and held in Metro Manila, on Monday, the twenty-third day of July, two thousand eighteen.

REPUBLIC ACT No. 11283

An Act Converting the Camarines Sur Polytechnic Colleges in the Municipality of Nabua, Province of Camarines Sur into a State University to be Known as the Polytechnic State University of Bicol, and Appropriating Funds Therefor

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippine Congress Assembled:

Section 1. Conversion. -The Camarines Sur Polytechnic Colleges (CSPC) in the Municipality of Nabua, Province of Camarines Sur is hereby converted into a state university to be known as the Polytechnic State University of Bicol, hereinafter referred to as the University, and integrating therewith the CSPC-Buhi Campus in the Municipality of Buhi. Its main campus shall be in the Municipality of Nabua.

Section 2. General Mandate. -The CSPC, hereinafter referred to as the University, shall, primarily provide advance education, higher technological and professional instruction and training in education, science and technology, engineering, environment, agriculture, forestry and fisheries, arts and sciences, business administration and management, health sciences, and other related fields of study. It shall also undertake research and extension services, and provide progressive leadership in its areas of specialization.

Section 3. Curricular Offerings. -The University shall offer undergraduate and graduate courses in the fields of education, science and technology, engineering, environment, agriculture, fisheries, arts and sciences, business administration and management, health sciences and other courses within its areas of specialization and based on its capabilities, and as the Board of Regents may deem necessary to carry out its objectives, in order to meet the needs of the Province of Camarines Sur and Region V.

The existing high school shall be transferred to the jurisdiction and supervision of the Department of Education (DepEd): Provided, That the high school shall be allowed to remain and operate within the campus of the University until the existing students shall have completed their high school education: Provided, further, That the University may operate a reasonably-sized laboratory school under its College of Education: Provided, furthermore, That the existing graduate school shall become an integral part of the College of Education.

Section 4. Administration. -The University shall have the general powers of a corporation set forth in Batas Pambansa Big. 68, as amended, otherwise known as "The Corporation Code of the Philippines". The administration of the University and the exercise of its corporate powers shall be vested exclusively in the Board of Regents and the President of the University.

Section 5. The Governing Board. -The governing board of the University shall be the Board of Regents, hereinafter referred to as the Board, which shall be chaired and co-chaired by the Chairperson of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the President of the University, respectively, with the following as members:

The Board shall appoint the two (2) prominent citizens from a list of at least five (5) qualified persons in the Province of Camarines Sur, as recommended by the search committee to be constituted by the University President, in consultation with the CHED Chairperson and the other members of the Board, based on the standards and qualifications for the position set by the Board. They shall serve for a term of two (2) years from the date of appointment.

Membership in the Governing Board of the President of the federation of faculty associations, the President of the federation of student councils, and the President of the federation of alumni associations shall be coterminous with their terms of office as provided under their respective constitutions and bylaws.

Section 6. Powers and Duties of the Board. -The Board, in addition to its general powers of administration and the exercise of all the powers granted to the Board of Directors of a corporation under existing laws, shall have the following specific powers and duties:

Section 7. Meetings of the Board. -The Board shall regularly convene once every quarter. The Chairperson of the Board may, however, call a special meeting whenever necessary: Provided, That members are notified in writing at least three (3) days prior to the conduct of meeting.

A quorum of the Board shall consist of majority of ail its members holding office at the time of the meeting: Provided, however, That the Chairperson of the Board or the President of the University is among those present in the meeting.

In the absence of the CHED Chairperson, a Commissioner of the CHED, duly designated by the CHED Chairperson as representative to the meeting, shall have all the rights and responsibilities of a regular member: Provided, however, That in the said meeting, the President of the University, as Vice Chairperson, shall be the Presiding Officer: Provided, further, That this proviso notwithstanding, the Chairperson of the CHED is hereby authorized to designate a CHED Commissioner as the regular Chairperson of the Board, in which case said CHED Commissioner, shall act as the Presiding Officer.

In case the Chairpersons of the Senate Committee on Education, Arts and Culture and the House Committee on Higher and Technical Education will not be able to attend the Board meeting, they may designate their respective representatives to attend the meeting, who shall have the same rights and responsibilities as regular members of the Board.

The members of the Board shall not receive any salary, but shall be entitled to reimbursements for actual and necessary expenses incurred, either for their attendance in the meetings of the Board or in connection with other official business authorized by resolutions of the Board, subject to existing laws and regulations.

Section 8. The University President. -The University shall be headed by a President, who shall render full-time service and shall be appointed by the Board, upon the recommendation of a duly constituted search committee. The President shall have a term of four (4) years and shall be eligible for reappointment to another term: Provided, That in order to effect the smooth transition of the CSPC to a state university, the incumbent President of the CSPC, if qualified, shall serve as the first President of the University.

Within six (6) months before the expiration of the term of office of the incumbent President of the University, the Board shall constitute the Search Committee for the Presidency.

The Board shall designate an Officer-in-Charge (OIC) of the University in case of vacancy in the Office of the President by reason of death, compulsory retirement, resignation, removal for cause, or incapacity of the President to perform the functions of the office, pending the appointment of a new President: Provided, That the OIC shall serve only during the unexpired portion of the term.

The powers and duties of the President of the University, in addition to those provided in this Act, shall be those usually pertaining to the Office of the President of similar universities, and those delegated by the Board.

The salary of the President of the University shall be in accordance with Republic Act No. 6758 or the revised "Compensation and Position Classification Act of 1989", as modified by Joint- Resolution No. 4 dated June 17, 2009, and by such other laws amendatory thereto, which may hereinafter be enacted, and shall be comparable to that being received by the presidents of similar educational institutions.

The President of the University shall be assisted by a Vice President for Academic Affairs, a Vice President for Finance and Administration, and a Vice President for Research, Extension and Training, who shall be appointed by the Board upon the recommendation of the President of the University.

Section 9. The Secretary of the University. -The Board shall appoint a Secretary who shall serve as such for both the Board and the University and shall keep all records and proceedings of the Board in addition to other duties and responsibilities. The Secretary of the University shall serve upon each member of the Board the appropriate notice of Board meetings.

Section 10. The Treasurer of the University. -The Treasurer of the Philippines shall be the ex officio treasurer of the University.

Section 11. Administrative Council. -There shall be an Administrative Council consisting of the President of the University, as Chairperson, and the vice presidents, deans, directors and other officials of equal rank, as members, whose duty is to review and recommend to the Board such policies governing the administration, management and development planning of the University.

Section 12. The Academic Council. -There shall be an Academic Council to be composed of the President of the University, who shall act as its Chairperson, and all academic staff with the rank of at least an assistant professor, as members.

The Academic Council shall have the power to review and recommend the curricular offerings and rules of discipline of the University, subject to the approval of the Board. It shall fix the requirements for the admission of students, as well as for their graduation and conferment of degrees, subject to the review and approval of the Board through the President of the University.

It shall have disciplinary power over the students of the University and shall formulate academic policies, and rules and regulations on discipline, subject to the approval of the Board.

Section 13. Heads of University Campuses. -The Campus Directors shall serve as heads or administrators of the University campuses and shall render full-time service.

They shall be appointed or designated by the Board, upon the recommendation of the Search Committee and the President, subject to the guidelines, qualifications and standards set by the Board: Provided, That the incumbent Campus Directors of the existing campuses of the CSPC shall serve as Campus Directors of their respective campuses upon the effectivity of this Act.

Section 14. The Faculty. -No political belief, gender preference, cultural or community affiliation, ethnic origin, religious opinion or affiliation shall be a matter of inquiry in the appointment of faculty members of the University: Provided, That the appointment shall be subject to the guidelines, qualifications and standards set by the Board: Provided, further, That a member of the faculty shall not criticize, vouch for, recruit members in behalf of, or preach about any particular church or religious sect.

Section 15. Academic Freedom and Institutional Autonomy. -The University shall enjoy academic freedom and institutional autonomy, pursuant to paragraph 2, Section 5 of Article XIV of the Philippine Constitution.

Section 16. Scholarship Program /Admission. -The University shall provide a scholarship program and other affirmative action programs to assist poor but deserving students who qualify for admission to the University. No student shall be denied admission to the University by reason of sex, religion, political, cultural or community affiliation, and ethnic origin.

Section 17. Authority to Loan or Transfer Apparatus/Equipment/Supplies and Detail of Personnel. -The heads of the bureaus and offices of the national government are hereby authorized to loan or transfer, upon the request of the President of the University, such apparatus, equipment or supplies as may be needed by the University, and to detail employees for duty therein when, in the judgment of the head of bureau or office, such apparatus, equipment, supplies or services of such employees can be spared without serious detriment to public service. The employees so detailed shall perform such duties as required of them by the President of the University, and the time so employed shall be counted as part of their regular service.

Section 18. Assets, Liabilities and Personnel. -All assets, real and personal, personnel and records of the CSPC, as well as liabilities or obligations, are hereby transferred to the University: Provided, That the positions, rights and security of tenure of the faculty members and personnel therein employed under existing laws prior to the conversion into a university shall be respected: Provided, farther, That the incumbents of the positions shall remain in the same status until otherwise provided for by the Board: Provided, finally, That the University shall also include an upgrade or increase in its human resource component.

All parcels of land belonging to the government occupied by the CSPC are hereby declared to be property of the University, and shall be titled under its name: Provided, That should the University cease to exist or be abolished or should such aforementioned parcels of land be no longer needed by the University, the same shall revert to the concerned LGU or to the Republic of the Philippines, as the case may be.

Section 19. Tax Exemption. -The importation of economic, technical and cultural books and publications, which are for economic, technical-vocational, scientific, philosophical, historical or cultural purposes made by the University, upon certification by the CHED, shall be exempt from customs duties in accordance with the provisions of Republic Act No. 10863, otherwise known as the "Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA)".

All grants, bequests, endowments, donations and contributions made to the University to be used actually, directly, and exclusively by it, shall be exempt from the donor’s tax and the same shall be considered as allowable deduction from the gross income in the computation of the income tax of the donor, in accordance with the provisions of the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997, as amended.

Section 20. Compliance with CHED Requirements. -The provisions of this Act notwithstanding, the conversion of the institution into a state university shall become effective only upon the determination and declaration by the CHED, based on the recommendation of a panel of experts it shall constitute for the purpose, that the institution has comp Red with the requirements for a university status based on CHED Memorandum Order No. 46, series of 2012 (Policy-Standard to Enhance Quality Assurance (QA) in Philippine Higher Education through an Outcomes-Based and Typology-Based QA): Provided, That the panel may issue such a recommendation when the institution has substantially complied with the requirements for the grant of university status.

The following requirements for a university, as established by the CHED, shall be complied with:

The CHED, through its regional office, shall regularly provide technical assistance to the institution and monitor compliance with the requirements of the Commission.

The institution shall retain its status prior to the effectivity of this Act until it is able to comply with the requirements provided herein.

Section 21. Development Plan, Management Audit, Organization/Administrative/Academic Structure. -Within the period of one hundred twenty (120) days after the approval of this Act, the University shall accomplish the following:

Section 22. Filing of Report. -On or before the fifteenth (15th) day of the second month after the opening of the regular classes each year, the Board shall file with the Office of the President of the Philippines and both Houses of Congress, through the CHED Chairperson, a detailed report on the progress, conditions and needs of the University.

Section 23. Supplementary Application. -The provisions of Republic Act No. 8292, otherwise known as the "Higher Education Modernization Act of 1997", shall be an integral part of this Act and shall serve as part of the Governing Charter of the University.Section 24. Parity Clause. -All other powers, functions and privileges, responsibilities and limitations to state universities and their officials under existing laws shall be deemed granted to or imposed upon the University or its officials, whenever appropriate.

Section 25. Appropriations. -The amount necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act shall be charged against the current year’s appropriations of the CSPC. Thereafter, such sums as may be necessary for the continued operation and maintenance of the University shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.

Section 26. Implementing Rules and Regulations. -Within sixty (60) days from the effectivity of this Act, the Board shall, in consultation with the CHED, formulate the rules and regulations to fully implement the provisions of this Act.

Section 27. Separability Clause. -If, for any reason, any part or provision of this Act is declared invalid or unconstitutional, the remaining parts or provisions not affected thereby shall remain in full force and effect.

Section 28. Repealing Clause. -All laws, presidential decrees, executive orders, and rules and regulations contrary to or inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

Section 29. Effectivity. -This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,

(Sgd) VICENTE C. SOTTO, III
President of the Senate

(Sgd) GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO
Speaker of the House of Representatives

This Act which originated in the House of Representatives was passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate of the Philippines on January 14, 2019 and February 4, 2019, respectively.

(Sgd) MYRA MARIE D. VILLARICA
Secretary of the Senate

(Sgd) DANTE ROBERTO P. MALING
Acting Secretary General
House of Representatives

(Sgd) RODRIGO ROA DUTERTE
President of the Philippines

Approved: April 12, 2019.