Alternative learning law signed

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has enacted into law a measure that institutionalizes the alternative learning route for Filipinos looking to earn their college degrees, Malacañang said Wednesday. Signed on March 3, Republic Act (RA) 12124, or the Expanded Tertiary Education Equivalency and Accreditation Program (ETEEAP), paves the way for Filipinos, especially working professionals, to finish their college education for career advancement. The law will identify, assess, validate and assign equivalent undergraduate level and special graduate programs of prior learning from formal, nonformal and informal learning systems, and relevant work experiences to qualified individuals for the grant of appropriate academic degrees. The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) will serve as the lead agency in implementing ETEEAP. Its functions include deputizing higher education institutions (HEIs) with academic degrees to be opened for the ETEEAP, developing standards for a diversified mode of assessing skills, values, knowledge and levels of competence, and granting or revocation of HEIs' authority to implement the ETEEAP. It is also mandated to monitor and evaluate the implementation of the ETEEAP, while its Office of Programs and Standards Development will serve as the permanent technical secretariat for carrying out the new law's functions. "The CHED may deputize capable HEIs or designate ETEEAP centers in regions where no or few HEIs are offering ETEEAP. For this purpose, the CHED may take into consideration the institution's international recognition or accreditation, performance in licensure examinations, research productivity, faculty recognition and other similar factors," part of RA 12124 reads. Qualifications set for those wishing to go through the alternative learning route are the following: must be a Filipino citizen; at least 23 years old; and with at least five years of work experience. Applicants must also have completed a secondary school program, with a high school diploma or a result of the Philippine Educational Placement Test or Alternative Learning System Accreditation, and Equivalency Assessment and Certification stating that the individual concerned is qualified to enter college as proof. CHED, EdCom 2 laud signing of ETEEAP Law The Commission on Higher Education lauded the signing of ETEEAP Law, noting that the program will now be expanded through increased funding. During a press briefing on Wednesday, CHED Chairman J. Prospero de Vera III said that the signing of the ETEEAP Law is a "recognition that CHED should provide multiple pathways [for learners] to complete their education." The ETEEAP was first implemented by the commission under an Executive Order 330 signed by President Fidel Ramos in 1996. "[ETEEAP] answers the problem of students who started in university [and] did not finish the university for one reason or another," de Vera said. He said the law expands the coverage of the program, which now includes micro credentialing and strengthening the recognition of an individual's work experience. "We can now mobilize more resources for it, we can expand the coverage so we can encourage more students who have not finished their education to come back through their credentials," de Vera said. The Second Congressional Commission on Education (EdCom 2) also lauded the signing of the ETEEAP Law. "Our vision is to empower more Filipinos by providing alternative pathways to education. We understand how important a college diploma is for our kababayan, and we want to ensure that they can take advantage of their work experiences, achievements and skills to earn a Bachelor's Degree without going through traditional schooling methods," Sen. Joel Villanueva, principal sponsor of the law in the Senate and an EdCom 2 commissioner, said.