Revising MECS Order No. 36, S. 1984 and Pertinent Provisions of Rules and Regulations for Implementation of BP Blg. 232

March 27, 1987

DECS ORDER NO. 032-87

REVISING MECS ORDER NO. 36, S. 1984 AND THE PERTINENT PROVISIONS OF THE RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF BATAS PAMBANSA BLG. 232

 

1. Statement of Policy

a. It is the declared policy of the State to encourage and assist, through this department, educational institutions which desire to meet standards of quality over and above the minimum required for state recognition.

b. For this purpose, the Department encourages the organization and operation of voluntary accreditation systems. It is likewise the policy of this Department to use voluntary accreditation in aid of the exercise of its regulatory function.

c. Cognizant that the accreditation process draws its strength from its voluntary nature this Department shall maintain a policy environment which supports and enhances the private and voluntary character and protects the integrity of the accreditation process.

d. For purposes of the grant of deregulated status and other benefits as provided for in MECS Order # 36, s. 1984, the Department recognizes the Federation of Accrediting Agencies of the Philippines (FAAP), as the agency that would certify, pursuant to its standards, the accredited status of schools and programs which desire to avail of said benefits.

e. In connection with the grant of deregulated status and other benefits the Department accepts the standards formulated under the auspices of the FAAP.

f. The Department also recognizes the pioneering work and efforts of the accrediting agencies now federated under the Federation of Accrediting Agencies of the Philippines (FAAP) namely, the Philippine Accrediting Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities (PAASCU), the Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities-Commission on Accreditation (PACU-COA), and the Association of Christian Schools and Colleges-Accrediting Agency (ASCS-AA). IEAHca

2. Eligibility Requirements for the Grant of Benefits and Incentives

a. The recognition of individual accrediting agencies or groups of accrediting agencies extended by this Department is an eligibility requirement solely for the grant of deregulated status and other benefits from the government. In order to avail of said benefits accredited institutions and programs must be affiliated with duly recognized accrediting agencies. Recognition shall not in any way diminish or violate the private and voluntary character of accrediting agencies.

b. The Department may, however, in connection with the grant of deregulated status and other benefits such as, financial assistance, formulate additional guideline to insure commonality in processes and standards among accrediting agencies and avoid the proliferation of accrediting agencies seeking Department recognition.

c. Applicant accrediting agencies seeking Department recognition must:

(1) be a non-governmental body duly incorporated under the classification of special corporations under Title III of the Corporation Code of the Philippines;

(2) demonstrate independence for making judgment relative to accreditation status, policies, procedures and criteria;

(3) have the technical staff and financial resources to conduct and maintain accreditation activities;

(4) demonstrate the need to be met by its accreditation activity, as well as its reliability, competence and experience;

(5) show evidence that its policies, evaluative criteria, standards and procedures conform with generally accepted accrediting principles applied on a consistent basis and agreed upon by educators, educational institutions, other accrediting agency;

(6) demonstrate that is it not duplicating the efforts of an already existing DECS recognized accrediting agency;

(7) submit its standards for review in order for DECS to ascertain that these standards exceed the minimum requirements; and

(8) make public and official its accrediting scope evaluative criteria and procedures including the academic and professional qualifications of the members of its policy and decision-making bodies and its administrative personnel.

3. Benefits

a. The scheme for progressive deregulation of qualified educational institutions and programs established pursuant to Part III, Rule IV, section 2b of the Implementing Rules of Batas Pambansa Blg. 232 and to Resolution No. 66 of the Regular Session of the Batasang Pambansa, otherwise known as the National Development Plan 1983-1984, passed on January 19, 1982, shall be enhanced. aASEcH

b. For purposes of progressive deregulation and the grant of other benefits, educational institutions/programs are classified into four levels. The levels and the minimum requirements prescribed for each are specified in the above-stated MECS Order, which are, to wit:

(1) Level I — institutions/programs which have at least undergone a preliminary survey visit and are certified by the FAAP as being capable of acquiring an accredited status within one or two years.

(2) Level II — institutions/programs which have at least been granted an initial accredited status by any of the member agencies of the FAAP and whose status is certified by the latter.

(3) Level III — institutions/programs which have at least been re-accredited and have met the criteria/guidelines set by FAAP for this level. The list of these institutions/programs shall be certified and submitted to the Department by FAAP.

(4) Level IV — tertiary institutions which have distinguished themselves in a broad area of academic discipline and enjoys prestige and authority comparable to international universities; provided that said institutions assume the task of redirecting and assisting schools in a given field or in a given geographic area. The list of these schools shall be certified and submitted to the Department by FAAP.

c. The benefits to accredited schools/programs as provided for in the aforesaid MECS Order shall be maintained. These benefits to wit are: Progressive deregulation which involve limited administrative deregulation for Level I, tuition and full administrative deregulation for Level II, and curricular deregulation for Level III. Level IV involves the grant of annual subsidies for programs of qualified tertiary educational institutions for the period or duration of its accredited or re-accredited status, subject to approval of fund appropriations as part of the national budget process.

(1) Level I — Limited Administrative Deregulation. Exemption from compliance with Department prescribed administrative operational requirements, such as, approval of class and teacher's programs, trimestral or semestral submission of enrolment lists, and reports of promotion of students. Form IX may also be submitted without the previously required supporting documents.

(2) Level II — Tuition and Full Administrative Deregulation.

(a) Priority in terms of available funding assistance for scholarships, library materials, laboratory equipment and other development items and activities from the government;

(b) The right to use on its publication or advertisements the word "ACCREDITED" for programs so accredited pursuant to law and, Department and FAAP policies and rules;

(c) Financial deregulation, that is, deregulation of tuition and other school fees and charges;

(d) Limited visitation, inspection and/or supervision of Department supervisory personnel or representatives; and

(e) Authority to graduate students from accredited courses or programs of study in the levels accredited, that is, tertiary, secondary and elementary without prior approval of the Department subject to the following conditions: CDAEHS

(i) The school head must furnish the regional director of the region where the school is situated a copy of its certificate of accreditation.

(ii) Within two weeks after the graduation exercises, the school shall submit to the Regional Director concerned an alphabetical list of the graduates by courses, accompanied by a certification under oath signed by the school registrar certifying that the students therein listed {a} have complied with all the requirements of the Department of Education, Culture and Sports for their respective courses, {b} were conferred their respective certificates or degrees on a specific date, {c} have full and complete scholastic records, and {d} that their form 137 for high school and Form IX for college are in the custody of the school;

(iii) The school will be held fully liable for the veracity of the records without prejudice to any and all such legal action, including revocation of government recognition, as may be called for under the circumstances; and

(iv) The Department reserves the right to cancel and/or revoke the graduation of any student whose records are found to be fraudulent.

(3) Level III — Curricular Deregulation, that is, autonomy in relation to the academic and curricular aspects and general administration of educational programs or courses of studies; hence, Department authority and eligibility to operate classes in all of the institution's accredited programs. DISTcH

(4) Level IV — Refer to paragraph 3c.

d. University Status. In addition to other requirements specified by law and other Department issuances, no university can be established or a college converted to a university or the corporate life of an existing university renewed after it has lapsed according to law unless its degree programs in Arts and Sciences and four other programs are accredited provided that two of these four programs have the highest enrolment in the institution.

e. In addition to the above benefits and to enhance the stature of accredited programs, the enrolment, admission and/or placement of the following shall be limited to accredited institutions and/or programs as certified to DECS by the FAAP or other bodies designated to issue said certification for programs or areas where there are no operative accrediting mechanisms as of the issuance of this Order:

(1) the teachers under the Department of Education, Culture and Sports and from state colleges and universities for purposes of the grant of Equivalent Record Form (ERF);

(2) the scholarship awardees in degree courses in the following programs, namely, the State Scholarship Program, the National Integration Study Grant Program, School Ethnic Groups Educational Assistance Program (SEGEAP), the Work Study Grant Program, the Study Now Pay Later Plan Program and other scholarship and financial programs which may be administered by the National Scholarship and Student Loan Center (NSSLC); and

(3) foreign students.

f  The requirement for Special Orders shall be waived for duly accredited schools subject to the conditions prescribed in Provisions 3c (2) (e) of this Order.

4. Effectivity

a. The provisions of this Order shall take effect immediately except the provisions on additional benefits under provision 3.e of this Order which shall take effect in school year 1988-89.

b. This Order repeals the following: Bureau of Private Schools Circular No. 10, s. 1967; Circular No. 2, s. 1968; Memorandum No. 87, s. 1968; Memorandum No. 42, s. 1968; the provisions of MECS Order No. 36, s. 1984 for the organization of a single national accrediting body; Rule IV Sections 3, 5 and 6a of the Rules and Regulations for the Implementation of Batas Pambansa Blg. 232. Other existing DECS issuances contrary to or inconsistent with this Order are also hereby rescinded.

5. For immediate implementation.

(SGD.) LOURDES R. QUISUMBINGSecretary

<http://www.deped.gov.ph/cpanel/uploads/issuanceImg/DO%20No.%2032,%20s.%201987.pdf> last visited on September 14, 2012.