Creation of the Western Pangasinan State College of Agriculture

June 11, 1978

PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 1494

CREATING THE WESTERN PANGASINAN STATE COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR

WHEREAS, the Constitution of the Philippines directs the State to establish and maintain a complete and integrated system of education relevant to the goals of national development;

WHEREAS, the program for national development includes, among others, the development of agriculture and conservation of the country's national wealth; and

WHEREAS, the creation of a state college of agriculture in Pangasinan, to be known as the Western Pangasinan State College of Agriculture, primarily providing instruction and training in the field of agriculture, would serve to better achieve the goals of national development; aisa dc

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution, do hereby decree and order:

SECTION 1. There is hereby established in Infanta, Dasol, Province of Pangasinan, a school of agriculture to be known as Western Pangasinan State College of Agriculture, hereinafter referred to as the College.

SECTION 2. The purpose of this College is to provide technical, vocational and professional training and instruction in the field of agriculture, and for special purposes, to promote research, advance studies and progressive leadership in said field, as well as undertake agricultural extension work in Pangasinan and its service areas.

SECTION 3. The College shall offer secondary agricultural courses, undergraduate courses leading to the degrees of Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Education, Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Homemaking, Bachelor of Science in Agriculture, Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Engineering and Bachelor of Science in Forestry, post graduate studies leading to the degree of Master of Science in Agriculture and Master of Science in Agricultural Education and such other technical and vocational courses as the Board of Trustees may deem necessary.

No student shall be denied admission to the College by reason of sex, ethnic consideration, religious belief or affiliation.

SECTION 4. The head of the College shall be known as the President of the Western Pangasinan State College of Agriculture. He shall be appointed by the President of the Philippines and his compensation shall be fixed by the Board of Trustees. He shall not be removed therefrom except for cause. His functions, powers and duties in addition to those specifically provided for in this decree, shall be those usually pertaining to the office of the president of a state college.

SECTION 5. The governing body of the College shall be the Board of Trustees, hereinafter referred to as Board to be appointed by the President of the Philippines for a term of four years. All members who are not receiving regular compensation from the government shall receive a per diem of one hundred pesos each per session of the Board. Appointment to any vacancy shall be only for the unexpired portion of the term of the predecessor.

A quorum of the Board shall consist of a majority of the members holding office at the time the meeting of the Board is called and all the processes against the Board shall be served on the president or secretary thereof. cd i

SECTION 6. The Board shall exercise for the College all the powers and prerogatives of a board of directors of a corporation. In addition thereto, it shall have the following powers and duties:

a) To fix the site of the College;

b) To receive and appropriate to the ends specified by law such sums as may be provided for the support of the College;

c) To confer degrees upon successful candidates for graduation of the College and the usual honorary degrees upon persons in recognition of learning, statesmanship or eminence in science, agriculture, forestry or public service related to such fields; cd

d) To fix the tuition fees required of students as well as matriculation fees, graduation fees and fees for laboratory trust fund of the college and remit the same to the office or authority concerned;

e) To provide fellowship for faculty members and approve the granting of scholarships, stipends and such other allowances to deserving students;

f) To receive in trust legacies, gifts and donations of real and personal property of all kinds and to administer the same for the benefit of the College or of a department thereof, or for aid to the student, as the case may be in accordance with the directions and instructions of the donor and in default thereof, in such manner as the Board may in its discretion determine;

g) To provide vocational training to adult citizens and out-of-school youths;

h) To approve the curricula, course of study and rules of discipline drawn up by the College Council as hereafter provided;

i) To submit to the President of the Philippines a detailed annual report, setting forth the progress, condition and needs of the College;

j) Upon recommendation of the President of the College, to appoint Vice Presidents, deans, heads of departments, professors, instructors, lecturers and other officers and employees of the College; to fix their compensation; to prescribe their hours of service, duties and the conditions of work as it may deem necessary and proper; to grant to them leave of absence in accordance with Civil Service law, rules and regulations, and to remove them for cause after due investigation and hearing;

k) To undertake construction and/or repair of its buildings, machineries, equipment and other facilities, and print technical and educational materials in any printing establishment, any provision of law or regulations to the contrary notwithstanding;

l) To provide its own rules on procedure and prescribe for the administration of the College such rules and regulations as are consistent with the purposes of this Decree; and cd

m) To exercise such other powers, functions and duties as may be necessary to carry into effect the purposes of this Decree.

SECTION 7.  There shall be a College Council consisting of the President and the faculty of the College.

Subject to the approval of the Board, the Council shall prescribe the curricula, rules of discipline and requirements for admission to the College as well as for graduation and conferring of degrees. Through its president and committee, it shall have disciplinary power over students within the limits prescribed by the rules of discipline.

SECTION 8. The body of instructors and professors of the College shall constitute the faculty of the College, including the President of the College who shall act as presiding officer.

No member of the faculty shall attempt directly or indirectly, under penalty of dismissal by the Board, to influence students or otherwise, which preaches the overthrow of the government through violence or subversion. cdt

SECTION 9. The Treasurer of the Philippines shall be ex-officio treasurer of the College. All accounts and expenses therefor shall be audited in accordance with established and official auditing rules and regulations.

SECTION 10. There shall be a registrar of the College who shall also act as Secretary of the Board, to be appointed by the latter. He shall keep such records as may be prescribed by the Board.

SECTION 11. All legacies, gifts and donations for the benefit of the College or for its support and maintenance or for aid to any of its students shall be tax-exempt and shall be an allowable deduction from the gross income of the donors. The College shall be exempt from payment of taxes, fees, assessments and other charges of the government, its branches and subdivisions. acd

SECTION 12. Heads of Bureaus or offices of the National Government are hereby authorized to loan or transfer, upon request of the President of the College, such apparatus, supplies and other properties as may be needed by the College, and to detail employees for duty therein, when in the judgment of the head of bureau or office, they 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 employed shall be counted as part of their regular office hours, all laws, rules and regulations limiting the detail of government employees notwithstanding.

Any officer or employee of the Government engaged as lecturer in the College may receive a compensation in addition to his salary at the rate to be fixed by the Board: Provided, that his duties as such lecturer are performed outside of the regular office hours.

SECTION 13. To carry out the purposes of this Decree, including the operation of the College, the acquisition, improvements and conditions of the land on which it shall be located, the construction, maintenance and repair of buildings and improvements, and the acquisition of furniture, fixtures and equipment, the sum of nine million pesos is hereby appropriated out of any funds in the National Treasury not otherwise appropriated. Thereafter, the expenses of the College for the purpose above described, shall be provided in the Annual General Appropriations Decree or Law.

SECTION 14. This Decree shall take effect immediately.

DONE in the City of Manila, this 11th day of June, in the year of Our Lord, Nineteen Hundred and Seventy-Eight.

Published in the Official Gazette, Vol. 74 No. 50 Page 11055 on December 18, 1978.