[ REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7960, March 29, 1995 ]

AN ACT CONVERTING THE ILOCOS SUR AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE IN THE MUNICIPALITY OF STA. MARIA INTO A POLYTECHNIC COLLEGE TO BE KNOWN AS THE ILOCOS SUR POLYTECHNIC COLLEGE, INTEGRATING FOR THE PURPOSE THE NARVACAN SCHOOL OF FISHERIES, THE SOUTHERN ILOCOS SUR SCHOOL OF FISHERIES, THE ILOCOS SUR EXPERIMENTAL STATION AND PILOT SCHOOL OF COTTAGE INDUSTRIES, THE TAGUDIN COMPREHENSIVE HIGH SCHOOL, THE CERVANTES AGRICULTURAL HIGH SCHOOL, THE SUYO NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL, AND THE SALCEDO NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL, ALL IN THE PROVINCE OF ILOCOS SUR, AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR



Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. The Ilocos Sur Agricultural College, the Narvacan School of Fisheries, the Southern Ilocos Sur School of Fisheries, the Cervantes Agricultural High School, the Tagudin Comprehensive High School, the Salcedo National High School, the Suyo National High School, the Ilocos Sur Experimental Station and Pilot School of Cottage Industries, all in the Province of Ilocos Sur, are hereby merged into one college to be known as the Ilocos Sur Polytechnic College, hereinafter referred to in this Act as the College.

SEC. 2. The College shall primarily give professional and technical training in the fields of economics, agriculture, engineering, education, forest research and conservation, management, finance, accounting, business administration and public administration besides providing for the promotion of scientific and technological researches, subject to the policies and standards of the Commission on Higher Education.

SEC. 3. The College shall be under the administrative and supervisory control of the Chairman of the Commission on Higher Education.

SEC. 4. The Ilocos Sur Agricultural College, the Narvacan School of Fisheries, the Southern Ilocos Sur School of Fisheries, the Cervantes Agricultural High School, the Tagudin Comprehensive High School, the Salcedo National High School, the Suyo National High School, and the Ilocos Sur Experimental Station and Pilot School of Cottage Industries are hereby abolished and all their personnel, assets, fixed and movable, are hereby transferred to the Ilocos Sur Polytechnic College.

SEC. 5. In order to have a smooth integration and transition, the head of the Ilocos Sur Agricultural College, Chairperson of the Commission on Higher Education and a representative from the Department of Education, Culture and Sports are hereby constituted as a transition body to prepare the plans, processes and procedures for the integration of the school into a polytechnic college: Provided, That, the work of the transition body shall be finished within six (6) months from the approval of this Act.

SEC. 6. The amount necessary for the implementation of this Act shall be charged against the current year's appropriations of the abolished schools. Thereafter, such sums as may be necessary for its operation and maintenance shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.

Fees and charges, including government subsidies and other income generated by the College shall constitute special trust funds and shall be deposited in any authorized government depository bank, and all interest that shall accrue therefrom shall form part of the same funds for the use of the College.

The income generated by the College may, at the discretion of the College, be disbursed for the professional growth and development, health, welfare and other similar benefits that the faculty members and personnel, for extension and student welfare expenses so that the flexibility on use of income shall be focused on faculty, personnel improvement and student welfare activities, and for expenses necessary for the attainment of its purposes under this Act.

SEC. 7. The Chairman of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) is hereby directed to take such steps as are necessary for the immediate implementation of this Act.

SEC. 8. All laws inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or amended accordingly.

SEC. 9. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in any newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,

(Sgd.)  EDGARDO J. ANGARA     (Sgd.)  JOSE DE VENECIA, JR. 
President of the SenateSpeaker of the House
of Representatives

This Act which is a consolidation of House Bill No. 207, Senate Bills Numbered 1226 and 1935 was finally passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate on February 7, 1995 and February 2, 1995, respectively.

(Sgd.)  EDGARDO E. TUMANGAN   (Sgd.)  CAMILO L. SABIO
Secretary of the Senate  Secretary General
House of Representatives

Approved: March 29, 1995

(Sgd.)  FIDEL V. RAMOS
President of the Philippines