WHEREAS, the Constitution of the Philippines directs the State to establish and maintain a complete, adequate and integrated system of education relevant to the goals of national development and further prescribes that all educational institutions shall aim to develop scientific, technological and vocational efficiency;

WHEREAS, under Presidential Decree No. 6-A also known as the Educational Development Decree of 1972 promulgated on September 29, 1972, it has been declared a policy of the government to reorient the educational system toward an accelerated national economic growth and meaningful social development;

WHEREAS, it is an established fact that Western Visayas is considered and identified as the fishery region of the Philippines and therefore, needs to be tapped, developed and exploited to give maximum benefits to the service area;

WHEREAS, the integrated fisheries development of the country is one of the priority programs of the government to effect the socio-economic life of the nation;

WHEREAS, in order to meet the fisheries manpower requirements of Western Visayas as the target clientele towards the attainment of clearly defined objectives pursuant to the integrated fisheries development policy of the State, the government shall positively direct the training and education in development fisheries as a priority program;

WHEREAS, the new thrust and direction in Philippine education, inspired and oriented in accordance with the development goals of the government, imposes a tremendous responsibility and challenge on public vocational schools;

WHEREAS, in order to provide equal educational opportunity for people in the countryside and that educational institution of higher learning is accessible to the student populace, it is necessary and imperative for the government to establish educational institution offering priority courses relevant to the employment needs and requirements of the region;

WHEREAS, the conversion of the Iloilo Regional School Fisheries into a State College to be known as the Iloilo State College of Fisheries, providing for its own charter, broadening for this purpose its curricular offerings and directing its objectives would serve to better achieve the above national goals and hasten the training and education in development fisheries.

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

SECTION 1. The present Iloilo Regional School of Fisheries located in the Municipality of Barotac Nuevo, Province of Iloilo is hereby converted, into a State College to be known as the Iloilo State College of Fisheries.

SEC. 2. The State College shall primarily provide higher technological, professional and vocational instruction and training in fisheries, science, as well as short-term technical or vocational courses in fisheries. It shall also promote research, advance studies, extension works and progressive leadership in its areas of specialization.

SEC. 3. In addition to its present secondary and collegiate curriculum offerings in fisheries, the State College shall offer other undergraduate and graduate courses in the fields of fisheries, marine engineering and marine biology, science and such other courses and field of specialization as the Board of Trustees may deem necessary. It shall also offer opportunity or short-term technical or vocational courses within areas of specialization to meet the manpower needs of the region.

SEC. 4. No students shall be denied admission to the State by reason of sex, ethnic consideration or religious beliefs or affiliation.

SEC. 5. The head of the State College of Fisheries shall be known as the President of the Iloilo State College of Fisheries. He shall be appointed by the President of the Philippines upon the recommendation of the Board of Trustees. His salary shall be fired by the Board of Trustees, subject to pertinent budget and compensation laws, rules and regulations.

The powers and duties of the President of the State College in addition to those specifically provided for in this decree shall be those usually pertaining to the Office of the President of the State College or University.

SEC. 6. The President of the College must be a fishery graduate with a doctorate decree in either Education or Philosophy. The President of the State College must be the incumbent superintendent of the Iloilo Regional School of Fisheries until after such time when the members of the Board of Trustees meeting en banc will recommend to the President of the Philippines an individual to head the State College who shall be a man with a doctorate degree and a fishery graduate.

SEC. 7. The Board of Trustees of the Iloilo State College of Fisheries shall be the governing body to be composed of the Secretary of the Department of Education and Culture, as Chairman, The Regional Director of the Department of Education and Culture, Region VI, as Vice-Chairman, and the following as members: Director, Higher Education, Director, Secondary Education, Regional Director, National Economic Development Authority (NEDA), Region VI, Regional Director, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Region VI, Chairman, Regional Development Council, Region VI, and the President of the Iloilo State College of Fisheries.

SEC. 8. A quorum of the Board of Trustees consist of a majority of all member holding office at the time a meeting is called. All processes against the Board of Trustees shall be served on the President thereof.

SEC. 9. The members of the Board of Trustees shall be entitled to a per diem for every meeting attended subject to pertinent budget laws, rules and regulations on compensation, honoraria and allowances. Provided, that they shall be reimbursed for actual and necessary expenses incurred either in the attendance upon meetings of the Board or upon other official business authorized by the resolution of the Board subject to the aforementioned laws, rules and regulations on compensation.

SEC. 10. The Board of Trustees shall have the following powers and duties in addition to its general powers of administration, and the exercise of all powers of a corporation as provided in section thirteen of Act Numbered Fourteen Hundred Fifty Nine as amended otherwise known as the Corporation Law;

1. To receive and appropriate for the purpose specified by law such sums as may be provided for the support of the State College;
2. To confer degree upon successful candidates for graduation of the State College. It may also confer honorary degree upon persons in recognition of learning, statesmanship or eminence in any of the fields of specialization of the State College, or in recognition of public service. Provided, that such degrees shall not be conferred in consideration of or reciprocation of some personal favor;
3. To authorize the President of the State College to award proficiency certificates or diplomas to students who have completed non-degree courses;

SEC. 11. On or before the fifteenth day of the second month after the opening of regular classes each year, the Board of Trustees shall file with the Office of the President of the Philippines a detailed report, setting forth the progress, conditions, and needs of the State College.

SEC. 12. There shall be a College Academic Council consisting of the President of the State College, Directors and all members of the faculty with the rank of professors. The Council shall have the power to prescribe the curricula and rules of discipline, subject to the approval of the Board of Trustees. It shall fix the requirements for admission to the State College, as well as for graduation and the conferring of degrees subject to review by the Board of Trustees. The Council alone shall have the power to recommend students or others to be recipients of degrees. The President of the State College or its duly authorized Committee, the Council shall have disciplinary power over the students within the limits prescribed by rules of discipline.

SEC. 13. The body of instructors and professors of the State College shall constitute the faculty of the State College.

The faculty shall be exempted as such from any civil service examinations or regulations as a requisite to appointment.

SEC. 14. 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 preaches the overthrow of the duly constituted government through violence or subversion.

SEC. 15. The Treasurer of the Republic of the Philippines shall be ex-officio treasurer of the State College and all accounts and expenses thereof shall be audited by the Commission on Audit or its duly authorized representatives.

SEC. 16. 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 or the service of such employees can be spared without serious detriment to the public service. Employees so detailed and the time so employed shall be counted as part of their regular official service.

SEC. 17. All assets of the Iloilo Regional School of Fisheries, whether fixed or movable, records and personnel, are hereby transferred to the Iloilo State College of Fisheries.

SEC. 18. In addition to the present appropriation of the Iloilo Regional School of Fisheries, the sum of One Million Five Hundred Thousand Pesos is hereby appropriated out of the funds of the National Treasury not otherwise appropriated to carry out the purposes of this Decree. Thereafter, funds for the maintenance and operation of the Iloilo State College of Fisheries shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Law.

SEC. 19. The Secretary of Education and Culture is hereby directed to take such step as are necessary for the immediate implementation of this Decree.

SEC. 20. All laws, decrees, executive orders contrary to or inconsistent with the provisions of this Decree are hereby repealed or amended accordingly.

SEC. 21. 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.

 

(Sgd.) FERDINAND E. MARCOS
President of the Philippines

   

 

By the President:    

(Sgd.) JUAN C. TUVERA  

  Presidential Assistant