An Act Establishing The Sultan Kudarat Polytechnic State College, Defining its Powers, Functions and Duties, Appropriating Funds Therefore, and For Other Purposes

Eighth Congress

REPUBLIC ACT No. 6973

An Act Establishing The Sultan Kudarat Polytechnic State College, Defining its Powers, Functions and Duties, Appropriating Funds Therefore, and For Other Purposes

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

Section 1. Establishment.— There is hereby established in the Province of Sultan Kudarat, with a central site and administration office in the Municipality of Tacurong (Sultan Kudarat Capital Site Extension), a college which shall be known as the Sultan Kudarat Polytechnic State College, hereinafter referred to as the College.

Section 2. Conversion.— The Tacurong Municipal High School in Tacurong, the Lutayan National Agricultural High School in Lutayan, the Sultan Kudarat National High School in Isulan, the Kalamansig Municipal High School in Kalamansig and the Palimbang Municipal High School in Palimbang are hereby merged into one college to be known as the Sultan Kudarat Polytechnic State College. The Board of Trustees of the College is hereby authorized to effects its organization.

Section 3. Purpose.— The College shall primarily give professional and technical training in science and technology, and shall provide advanced and specialized instruction in literature, philosophy, arts and sciences, besides providing for the promotion of scientific and technological researches.

Section 4. Powers of the College.— The following are the powers of the College:

Section 5. The Governing Board; Manner of Appointment.—

Section 6. The Administration.— The administration of the College shall be vested in the President of the College who shall render full-time service.

The College President shall be appointed by the Board of Trustees. He shall be assisted by a Vice-President for Academic Affairs who shall be appointed by the Board upon recommendation of the College President. His Compensation shall be fixed by the Board.

The President shall hold office for a term of six (6) years without reappointment unless he reaches the age of retirement or earlier removed for cause or incapacitated to discharge the duties of the office.

In case of vacancy by reason of death, resignation, removal for cause or incapacity of the President to perform the functions of his office, the Board shall have the authority to designate an officer-in-charge of the College pending the appointment of a new president.

In case of vacancy in the Office of the President as mentioned in the immediately preceding paragraph, his successor shall hold office for the unexpired term but in no case shall his term be more than six (6) years.

Section 7. Powers of the President.— The powers and duties of the President, in addition to those which are usually exercised by college presidents, which are not inconsistent with the provisions of this law, are the following:

Section 8. The Secretary of the College.— The Board shall appoint a secretary who shall serve as such for both the Board and the College, and shall keep all records and proceedings of the Board. He shall communicate to each member of the Board notice of meetings.

Section 9. The College Council Powers.— There shall be a College Council, under the chairmanship of the President of the College, consisting of faculty members with the rank of dean professor, associate professor, and assistant professor. Subject to existing laws and orders, the Council shall have the power to prescribe the courses of study and rules of discipline; fix the requirements for admission to the College; serve as advisory council to the President; and through a tribunal of not more than five (5) members elected by the members, the Council shall administer disciplinary measures among the student body and the faculty of the College.

Section 10. College Centers.— The President shall organize the following centers whose staff shall be elected from among the members of existing faculty whose heads shall be known as Director of the Center:

Section 11. The Officers of the Administration.— The officers of the Administration of the College are the President, the Vice-President for Academic Affairs, the Deans of the different colleges, the Secretary of the College, Center Directors, and the College Treasurer.

Section 12. The Faculty and Other Personnel of the College.— The body of professors and instructors of each college shall constitute its faculty. They shall be appointed by the Board of Trustees upon recommendation of the President of the College. In the recruitment of professor, instructors, and other personnel of the College, no religious test shall be required nor shall their religious opinion or affiliation be made a matter of examination or inquiry; Provided, However, That no professor or instructor or any of its personnel shall inculcate sectarian tenets in any of his teachings.

Section 13. Civil Service Requirements.— Except the President and the Vice-President for Academic Affairs, all employees of the College shall be subject to the rules of the civil service. Highly technical positions may be exempt from the civil service eligibility upon approval of the Board as recommended by the President: Provided, However, That all shall be entitled to the privileges and rights of security tenure, promotion in position and salaries for meritorious service, leaves and retirement benefits, as in the government service as now provided for by law.

Section 14. The Auditor of the College.— The Commissioner of Audit of the Philippines shall be ex officio auditor of the College and shall designate his representative who must hold regular office therein to be able to perform his duties efficiently and satisfactorily as a regular official thereof. The designated representative shall be at least a certified public accountant with the rank of chief of a division in the Commission on Audit whose salary shall vary and whose benefits shall be paid by the College.

Section 15. Loans or Transfer of Apparatus or Supplies; Detail of Employees for Duty in the College.— The heads of bureaus and offices of the national government are hereby authorized to loan or transfer, upon request of the President of the College, such apparatus or supplies as may be needed by the College and to detail employees for duty therein when in the judgment of the bureau or office such supplies or employees can be spared without serious detriment to the public service. Employees so detailed shall perform such duties as are required under such detail, and the time so employed shall be counted as part of their regular service.

Section 16. The Board of Visitors.— The President of the Philippines, the Members of the Cabinet, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives or their designated representatives shall constitute Board of Visitors of the College whose duty shall be to attend commencement exercises, to make visits at such other time as it may deem proper, to examine the property, courses of study discipline and state of finances of the College, to inspect all books and accounts of the institution, and to make reports to the President of the Philippines upon the same with such recommendation as it may favor.

Section 17. Appropriations.— In addition to the current fiscal appropriations of the Lutayan National Agricultural High School, Sultan Kudarat National High School, Kalamansig Municipal High School, Palimbang Municipal High School, and the Tacurong Municipal High School, such amount is hereby authorized to be appropriated in the General Appropriations Act of the year following its enactment into law.

Section 18. Abolition and Transfer.— The Tacurong Municipal High School, the Lutayan National Agricultural High School, the Sultan Kudarat National High School, the Kalamansig Municipal High School and the Palimbang Municipal High School are hereby abolished and all their personnel, unexpended appropriations, and all their assets, fixed and movable, are hereby transferred to the Sultan Kudarat Polytechnic State College.

Section 19. General Provisions.— The Secretary of Education, Culture and Sports is hereby directed to take such steps as are necessary for the immediate implementation of this Act.

All laws inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or amended accordingly.

Section 20. Effectivity.— This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

Lapsed into law on December 5, 1990 without the President’s signature in accordance with Article VI, Sec. 27 (1), of the Constitution.

Approved: December 5, 1990.