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

SECTION 1. Title. – The Jose Rizal Memorial State College is hereby established, integrating therewith the Rizal Memorial National Vocational School in Dapitan City, the Zamboanga del Norte School of Arts and Trades in Dipolog City, and the Siocon National Vocational School in the Municipality of Siocon, all in the Province of Zamboanga del Norte, hereinafter referred to as the College.

SEC. 2. The initial campuses of the College shall be at the existing campus of the Rizal Memorial National Vocational School in the City of Dapitan, the Zamboanga del Norte School of Arts and Trades in Dipolog City, and the Siocon National Vocational School in the Municipality of Siocon, all in the Province of Zamboanga del Norte: Provided, That the main campus shall be at the existing campus of the Rizal Memorial National Vocational School in the City of Dapitan.

SEC. 3. The College shall primarily offer higher professional, technical, special instructions for special purposes and promote research and extension services, advanced studies and progressive leadership in education, agriculture, arts and sciences, engineering and other fields as may be relevant. The existing high school shall be transferred to the jurisdiction and supervision of the Department of Education, Culture and Sports: Provided, That this high school shall be allowed to remain and operate within the campus of the State College until it shall have been transferred to another location, or until their students shall have been accommodated in other public or private high schools: Provided, further, That the State College may operate a reasonably-sized laboratory school, if it has a college of education.

SEC. 4. Courses to be Offered. – The College shall offer undergraduate and graduate courses in the fields of education, engineering, arts and sciences, and other degree courses as the Board of Trustees may deem necessary to carry out its objectives. It shall also offer short-term technical or vocational courses within the area of specialization to meet the needs of the nation.

SEC. 5. Powers of the State College. – The College shall have the general powers of a corporation set forth in the corporation law. The administration of the College and the exercise of its corporate powers shall be vested exclusively in the Board of Trustees and the President of the State College insofar as authorized by the Board.

SEC. 6. Board of Trustees. – The governing body of the College shall be the Board of Trustees, hereinafter referred to as the Board, which shall be composed of the following:

1. Chairman of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), chairman;
   
   
2. President of the State College, vice-chairman;
   
   
3. Regional Director of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), member;
   
   
4. President of the faculty association of the College, member;
   
   
5. President of the supreme student council of the College, member; and
   
   
6. Two (2) representatives from the private sector, one of whom must be a graduate of the College but not an employee thereof, members;

They shall be appointed by the Board upon the recommendation of a search committee and shall hold office for a term of two (2) years.

SEC. 7. The Board shall promulgate and implement policies in accordance with the declared policies on education and other pertinent provisions of the Philippine Constitution on education, science and technology, arts, culture and sports (as well as the policies, standards and thrusts of the CHED under Republic Act No. 7722).

SEC. 8. Powers of the Board. – The Board shall have the following specific powers and duties in addition to its general powers of administration and the exercise of all the powers granted to the board of directors of a corporation under existing laws:

1. To enact rules and regulations not contrary to law as may be necessary to carry out the purposes and functions of the College;
   
   
2. To receive and appropriate all sums as may be provided for the support of the College in the manner it may, in its discretion, determine to carry out the purposes and functions of the State College;
   
   
3. To import duty-free essential commodities, materials and equipment for educational or technological programs as an exception to existing laws, provided such commodities, materials, and equipment are not available locally;
   
   
4. To receive in trust, legacies, gifts and donations of real and personal properties of all kinds and to administer and dispose the same when necessary for the benefit of the College and subject to the limitations, directions and instructions of the donor, if any. Such donations shall be exempt from all taxes and shall be considered as deductible items from the income tax of the donor;
   
   
5. To fix tuition fees and other necessary school charges such as, but not limited to, matriculation fees, graduation fees, and laboratory fees, as the Board may deem proper to impose;
   
   
6. To authorize the construction or repair of its buildings, machineries, equipment, and other facilities and the purchase and acquisition of real and personal properties, including necessary supplies, materials and equipment. Purchases and other transactions entered into by the College through the Board shall be exempt from all taxes and duties;
   
   
7. To confirm appointments of vice-presidents, deans, directors, heads of departments, faculty members and other officials and employees of the College made by the president of the College;
   
   
8. To fix and adjust the salaries of faculty members and administrative officials and employees in accordance with the revised compensation and position classification system;
   
   
9. To approve the curricula, institutional programs and rules of discipline drawn by the administrative and academic councils as herein provided;
   
   
10. To confer degrees upon successful candidates for graduation, to award honorary degrees upon persons in recognition of their outstanding contributions in the fields of education, public service, arts, science and technology, or in any field of specialization; and to authorize the award of certificates for completion of non-degree and non-traditional courses;
    
    
11. To establish branches in the Province of Zamboanga del Norte, if and when it becomes essential and necessary, where there is no existing school offering similar programs or courses, to promote and carry out equal access to educational opportunities as mandated by the Constitution; and
    
    
12. To establish chairs in the College and to provide fellowships for qualified faculty members and scholarships to deserving students.
    

SEC. 9. The Board of Trustees shall convene regularly at least once every two (2) months. The chairman of the Board of Trustees may, upon three (3) days prior written notice, call a special meeting whenever necessary.

A quorum of the Board shall consist of a majority of all members holding office at the time of the meeting: Provided, however, That the chairman of the CHED, who is the chairman of the Board or the president of the State College are among those present in the meeting.

In the absence of the chairman of the CHED, a Commissioner of the CHED, duly designated by him, shall represent him in the meeting.

SEC. 10. The State College shall be headed by a president to be appointed by the Board upon the recommendation of a duly constituted search committee, and shall hold office for a term of three (3) years extendible only for another three (3) years unless he reaches the age of retirement or earlier removed for cause or becomes incapacitated to discharge the duties of the office.

In case of vacancy in the office of the president by reason of death, resignation, incapacity of the president to perform the functions of his office, or removal for cause, the Board shall have the authority to designate an officer-in-charge of the College pending the appointment of a successor. The new president shall hold office for the unexpired term but in no case shall his term be more than six (6) years subject to the provisions of the preceding paragraph.

The powers and duties of the president of the State College in addition to those specifically provided in this Act, shall be those usually pertaining to the office of the president of similar colleges.

The salary of the president of the State College shall be comparable to that being received by the presidents of similar educational institutions of like enrollment and standing.

SEC. 11. There shall be an administrative council consisting of the president of the State College, as chairman, the vice-president(s), deans, directors and other officials of equal rank whose duty is to implement the policies governing the administration, management and development planning of the State College, as approved by the Board.

SEC. 12. There shall be an academic council with the president of the State College, as chairman, and all members of the instructional staff with the rank of not lower than assistant professor, as members. The academic council shall have the power to prescribe curricular offerings subject to the approval of the Board. It shall fix the requirements for the admission to the State College, as well as for graduation and the conferring of degrees, subject to review and/or approval by the Board through the president of the State College. It shall also have disciplinary powers over the students through the president within the limits prescribed by the rules of discipline, as approved by the Board.

SEC. 13. There shall be a secretary of the State College who shall be appointed by the Board upon recommendation of the president of the College. He shall also be the secretary of the Board and shall keep such records of the College as may be determined by the Board.

SEC. 14. The Treasurer of the Philippines shall be the ex officio treasurer of the State College.

SEC. 15. No religious opinion or affiliation shall be the matter of inquiry in the appointment of faculty members of the State College: Provided, however, That no member of the faculty shall teach for or against any particular church or religious sect.

SEC. 16. No student shall be denied admission to the State College by reason of sex, nationality, religion, or political affiliation.

SEC. 17. No member of the faculty of the State College shall attempt directly or indirectly, under penalty of dismissal by the Board of Trustees, to influence students or any person in the State College towards any ideology, political or otherwise, which agitates the throw of the duly constituted government.

SEC. 18. The appointment of the officer-in-charge of the State College pending the appointment of the president by the Board upon its composition, shall be made by the CHED.

SEC. 19. On or before the fifteenth (15th) day of the second month after the opening of the regular classes each year, the Board shall file with the Office of the President of the Philippines, through the chairperson of the CHED and to both Houses of Congress, a detailed report on the progress, conditions and needs of the State College.

SEC. 20. All the assets, fixed and movable, personnel and records of the Rizal Memorial National Vocational School, the Zamboanga del Norte School of Arts and Trades, and the Siocon National Vocational School as well as their liabilities or obligations, are hereby transferred to the State College: Provided, That the positions, rights and security of tenure of personnel therein employed, except those who would be transferred along with the high school component of the College, under existing laws prior to absorption by the State College are not impaired: Provided, further, That the incumbents of the positions shall remain in the same status until otherwise provided for by the Board.

All parcels of land belonging to the government occupied by the Rizal Memorial National Vocational School, the Zamboanga del Norte School of Arts and Trades and the Siocon National Vocational School are hereby declared the property of the Jose Rizal Memorial State College and shall be titled under that name: Provided, furthermore, That should the State College cease to exist or be abolished or such parcels of land aforementioned be no longer needed by the State College, the same shall revert to the Province of Zamboanga del Norte.

SEC. 21.All accounts and expenses of the State College shall be audited by the Commission on Audit or its duly authorized representative.

SEC. 22. The heads of bureaus and offices of the national government are hereby authorized to loan or transfer, upon request of the President of the State College, such apparatus, equipment or supplies as may be needed by the College and to detail employees for duty therein when in the judgment of the bureau or office, such apparatus, equipment, supplies or services of such employees can be spared without serious detriment to the public service. Employees so detailed shall perform such duties as required of them by the president of the State College, and the time so employed shall be counted as part of their regular services.

SEC. 23. It shall be the continuing policy of the State College to accept the affiliation and/or integration within its operation of any existing national school whose programs can contribute largely and effectively to the attainment of its objectives.

SEC. 24. The amount needed to carry out the provisions of this Act shall be charged against the current year's appropriations of the Rizal Memorial National Vocational School, the Zamboanga del Norte School of Arts and Trades, except the sum necessary to continue the operations of its existing high schools and the Siocon National Vocational School. Thereafter, such sums as may be necessary for the operation and maintenance of the College shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.

SEC. 25. All laws, presidential decrees, executive orders, rules and regulations contrary to or inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed, amended, or modified accordingly.

SEC. 26. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

Approved, June 11, 1996.