A bill seeking to expand and institutionalize alternate education programs for professionals seeking to finish their college studies has been approved by the Senate Committee on Education.
Senate Bill 1908 or Expanded Tertiary Education Equivalency and Accreditation Program (ETEEAP) Act, which was authored by Sen. Mark Villar, aimed to help professionals translate their work experiences into academic credits.
“Under this program, professionals with an aggregate of five (5) or more years of work experience can use the knowledge, experiences, achievements, and skills and obtained through their jobs to earn school credits that are then deducted from the total number of units or credits that they are required to earn before they graduate,” the bill read.
To qualify for the program, an applicant must meet the following requirements: a) must be a Filipino citizen, whether in the Philippines or abroad; b) at least five years of work experience; c) a birth certificate issued by the Philippine Statistics Authority; d) is 23 years old or above; e) a resume or curriculum vitae or personal data sheet; f) a duly accomplished ETEEAP application form; g) a service record or employment certificate signed by the employer; h) a job description signed by the employer; and i) a Transcript of Records.
In the proposed bill, the Commission on Higher Education would remain to implement the accreditation program.
CHED will evaluate the experience and skill of the applicants to properly place them into the appropriate degree. It would also determine the deficiencies of an applicant that would need remedial studies or academic supplementation.
Written examinations, practical and laboratory works would also be part of the program.
“This (bill) will provide greater access to education. This will also allow a sustainable implementation of the program given that there would be a continuous allocation to implement the program as the chair,” Dr. Cherrie Diego, Director of CHED-Office of Programs and Standards Development said in a statement.
CHED said an allocated budget of P20 million to P25 million for the program.
“From our discussion, we are proposing that there would be a declaration of a separate unit,” she added.
There is already an existing alternate education program run by CHED since 1977.
From 2019-2021, CHED said that around 5,000 individuals were enrolled in the alternative education program, with at least 3,000 students being able to finish their degree.