Amendments to RA 7687 (Science and Technology Scholarship Act of 1994)

January 29, 1997

REPUBLIC ACT NO. 8248

AN ACT FURTHER STRENGTHENING THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM OF THE GOVERNMENT, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7687, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY SCHOLARSHIP ACT OF 1994

 Section 4 of Republic Act No. 7687, otherwise known as the Science and Technology Scholarship Act of 1994, is hereby amended by adding sub-section 4-A to read as follows:

"Sec. 4-A. Science and Technology Human Resource Development Council. — A Science and Technology Human Resource Development Council is hereby created which shall be chaired by the Secretary of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and shall be composed of the following members:

"The Chairman of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED);

"The Secretary of the Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS);

"The Director-General of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA);

"The Secretary of the Department of Budget and Management Authority (DBM); and

"The President of the Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges (PASUC).

"The Council shall perform the following functions:

"(1) Coordinate science and technology human resource development programs;

"(2) Formulate a medium-and long-term science and technology human resource development plan in accordance with the national medium-term plan;

"(3) Formulate broad policies for the allocations of science and technology scholarships;

"(4) Formulate policies on advanced degree programs for science and technology;

"(5) Formulate a career system for technologists and technicians to complement the scientific career system;

"(6) Formulate programs to train and retrain scientist, engineers, researchers and technologists and encourage them through various incentives, to return and practice their professions in the Philippines, to enhance and accelerate the technological development of the country; and

"(7) Perform other functions necessary to effectively implement the provisions of this Act.

"The science and technology human resource development plan shall be submitted to the President six (6) months after the effectivity of this Act. The Council shall have a term of four (4) years commencing from the effectivity of this Act, unless otherwise extended by Congress."

 Section 5 of the same Act is hereby amended to read as follows:

"Sec. 5. Appropriations. — The amount necessary to carry out the initial implementation of this Act shall be charged against the current Fiscal Year Appropriations of the Department of Science and Technology.

"In order to provide funds necessary for the continuous implementation of the program for every year following its initial implementation, the budget of the DOST shall be increased in the amount of Sixty million pesos (P60,000,000.00) per year until it eventually reaches the amount of Three hundred million pesos (P30,000,000.00) to sustain the recipients of the scholarship during the duration of their study.

"For the first two (2) years of implementation of the program, an additional Six Million pesos (P6,000,000.00) per month, to be increased to Seven million pesos (P7,000,000.00) per month on the third and fourth year shall be provided, which sum shall be generated from the net income of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR): Provided, That such amount shall be strictly used to subsidize the beneficiaries' expenses while studying under the scholarship program herein provided. Priority shall be accorded to scholars graduating from high schools located in the fifth (5th) and sixth (6th) class municipalities."

SECTION 3. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its complete publication in two (2) newspapers of general circulation. cd

Approved: January 29, 1997

Published in Malaya and the Philippine Times Journal on February 3, 1997, The Philippine Star on March 4, 1997 and in the Philippine Daily Inquirer on March 5, 1997. Published in the Official Gazette, Vol. 93 No. 15 page 2281 on April 14, 1997.