REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7687 - AN
ACT INSTITUTING A SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM AND OTHER
PURPOSES
Section 1. Title. — This Act shall be known as the "Science
and Technology Scholarship Act of 1994".
Sec. 2. Statement of Policy. — Science and
technology are essential for national development and progress.
The State shall give priority to research and development, invention,
innovation and their utilization; and to science and technology
education, training and services.
In line with the above, it is hereby declared the policy of the State
to promote the development of the country's science and technology
manpower in line with economic development and to provide the
capability required in the areas of research, development, innovation
as well as their utilization. As such, it shall provide for
scholarships, grants-in-aid, or other forms of incentives to deserving
science students and other specially-gifted citizens to enable them to
pursue higher education or training in areas of science and technology.
Sec. 3. General Objectives. — To carry out the
foregoing policy, this Act strengthens the country's science and
technology manpower by creating a pool of scientists, engineers and
technicians who shall fill the needs of industrialization. Towards this
end, scholarships shall be provided to finance the education of poor,
talented and deserving students desiring to pursue a degree or training
in areas of science and technology as are recognized or permitted by
law.
Sec. 4. Science and Technology Scholarship Fund. —
There is hereby created a Science and Technology Scholarship Fund,
hereinafter known as the Fund, to be administered by the Department of
Science and Technology (DOST).
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 DOST.
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 (P60M) per year until it eventually reaches the amount of Three
hundred million pesos (P300M) to sustain the recipients of the
scholarship during the duration of their study.
Sec. 6. Coverage. — The grant of any scholarship
award from the Fund shall be applied only in the field of science,
mathematics, engineering, and such other areas in the undergraduate or
postgraduate courses as may be provided for in the rules and
regulations to be promulgated by the DOST and the Department of
Education, Culture and Sports (DECS): provided, however, that the
scholarship grant for the postgraduate level shall not be limited to
those scholars or recipients who are graduates of the undergraduate
scholarship program.
Sec. 7. Assistance to Grantees. — The grantee of
the scholarship program under this Act is entitled to financial
assistance which may include tuition and other school fees, outright
grant for prescribed textbooks and essential school supplies, outright
grant for prescribed military science and physical education uniform,
transportation expenses and monthly living allowance: provided,
however, that in the granting of financial assistance, the availability
of funds, purchasing power of the peso and rate of financial assistance
given under other government scholarship programs must be considered.
Sec. 8. Qualifications. — In order to qualify for
the scholarship program, the applicant must be:
a) a member of the top five percent (5%) of the high
school graduating class, regardless of gender, religion, and cultural
affiliation;
b) a resident of the municipality for the last four
(4) years prior to availing of the scholarship, as attested by the
school records; and
c) of good moral character and in good health.
Sec. 9. Value Formation Program. — The scholarship
program under this Act shall be supported by appropriate courses for
value formation of scholars that will inculcate in them the virtues of
nationalism, industriousness, honesty, commitment to national
development and an effective work ethic.
SECTION 10. Distribution of Scholarship Slots. — The
DOST in line with this Act shall provide for a proportional and
equitable allotment of slots for identified fields of science and
technology to attain a balanced distribution of manpower in terms of
number and expertise. The DOST shall organize a program geared
towards enlisting at least two (2) scholars in each municipality of the
Philippines and at least ten (10) scholars for those congressional
districts without municipality. Qualified members of the cultural
minority in appropriate cases shall be given due preference.
SECTION 11. Place of Study in the Country. — The
recipient of the scholarship privileges under this Act shall be
required to pursue their degree program and/or the vocational,
technical, or other courses specified under this Act at any academic or
training institutions duly accredited by the DECS and the DOST and in
private schools accredited by Federation of Accrediting Agencies in the
Philippines (FAAP).
Refusal or failure to comply with this provision shall be ground for
disqualification from the Program.
SECTION 12. Place of Study Outside the Home Country.
— The scholarship grant provided herein shall not be limited to
studying only in any school in this country but would include scholars
who can be granted the opportunity to study abroad in schools
specializing in courses stated therein: provided, however, that a
grantee who has qualified for study abroad must execute an undertaking
binding himself to return to the country to fulfill his service
obligation on the basis of the length of his scholarship. The
Department of Foreign Affairs is hereby directed to give full
assistance in enforcing such undertaking.
SECTION 13. Service Obligation. — Immediately upon
completion of a Bachelor of Science course, a scholar shall serve the
country on full-time basis only along his field of training for a
minimum period equivalent to the length of time a scholar enjoyed the
scholarship by rendering service to his province or municipality by
organizing technology-based livelihood activities or enterprises,
teaching, or such other service related to the course or training he
has completed, and, for this purpose, requiring the execution of a
contract between the Government and the scholar incorporating the
details of the said service obligation.
Any recipient of the program who has not completed his course shall
render service to the country equivalent to the number of years he
enjoyed the scholarship.
For the purpose stated in paragraph 1 of this Section , government
banks, financial institutions, and appropriate agencies shall provide
priority access to credit, research and development facilities, support
programs and other assistance to graduate scholars under this Act where
the same may be sound and viable.
Any scholar who violates the service obligation imposed under this
section shall be liable to reimburse the Government of the fund
assistance received under this Act in full or pro tanto as the case may
be.
SECTION 14. Post Scholarship Incentives. — In order
to encourage graduates of the scholarship program under this Act to
serve in fulfillment of their service obligation and entice them to
continue to stay and serve in the country even beyond their service
obligation, they shall be entitled to the following incentives:
a) priority for job placement in the Government or in
the private sector in positions appropriate to their area of education
or training;
b) grants-in-aid and access to government research
facilities in the conduct of research and development projects and
other service and technology activities;
c) access to credit with liberal terms from
government banks and financial institutions;
d) payment of hardship and/or hazard allowance to
those who are engaged in research and other science and technology
activities that posed danger and caused hardship to their well-being;
and
e) travel and accident insurance coverage.
SECTION 15. Advisory Committee. — There is hereby
created a committee composed of the Secretary of Science and Technology
as Chairman, and the Secretaries or Heads of the following departments
or agencies or their chosen representatives as members:
Education, Culture and Sports; Budget and Management; Agriculture;
Trade and Industry; Interior and Local Government; Finance and the
National Economic and Development Authority; and two (2)
representatives from the private sector one (1) of whom shall come from
the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry and one (1) from other
sectors.
To ensure the effective coordination of the program, said body shall
act in an advisory capacity in its implementation.
SECTION 16. Implementing Body. — The scholarship
program herein provided shall be directly implemented by the DOST
through the Science Education Institute.
SECTION 17. Rules and Regulations. — Within thirty
(30) days from the approval of this Act, the DOST in joint
collaboration with the DECS shall promulgate the necessary rules and
regulations for the effective implementation of the provisions thereof.
SECTION 18. Transitory Provisions. — Within sixty
(60) days from effectivity of this Act, existing state colleges and
universities and private schools with curriculum offerings on science
and technology shall ipso facto be deemed accredited.
SECTION 19. Repealing Clause. — All laws, decrees,
orders, rules and regulations, or portions thereof, inconsistent with
this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.
Sec. 20. Separability Clause. — In the event any
of the provisions of this Act is declared unconstitutional, the
validity of the other provisions shall not be affected by such
declaration.
Sec. 21. Effectivity. — This Act shall take effect
upon its approval.
Approved: March 2, 1994
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