WHEREAS, the vital role of youth in nation building is enshrined in the Constitution and every effort is being exerted by the New Republic to insure a satisfactory quality of life for the youth through sustained, coordinated and nationwide implementation and enforcement of the Child and Youth Welfare Code, and through the National Plan of Action for the Development of Children and Youth;

WHEREAS, these nation-wide programs which will be fully operational during the coming decade, are intended to transform right into operational services and to make social justice, equal protection of laws, and the right to a decent standard of living, realities in the daily lives of the children and youth;

WHEREAS, the working youth and those outside of the school system should not only be assured of protection against exploitation, but should be given assistance in finding skills enrichment employment and channels to community involvement and participation;

WHEREAS, knowledge, skills and the proper attitudes and habits are not only acquired in structured and formalized systems of learning, but also in on-going non-formal and informal training;

WHEREAS, the Ministry of Education and Culture in line with Presidential Decree No. 6-A is mandated to align the educational system with the objectives of the National Development Plan and pursuant to P.D. 1139, to provide non-formal education to the youth;

WHEREAS, the National Educational Testing Center had been directed to implement said program through an accreditation and equivalency scheme;

WHEREAS, the National Manpower and Youth Council has been mandated by Presidential Decree No. 442 as amended to train the out-of-school youth in employable skills, and to establish skills standards through trade certification;

WHEREAS, the Ministry of Labor and Employment pursuant to Presidential Decree No. 442 as amended is mandated to train the youth through the apprenticeship and learnership program;

WHEREAS, the Ministry of Agriculture through the Anak Bukid program aims to provide agricultural training for gainful employment most particularly to the out-of-school youth in the rural areas;

WHEREAS, the Ministry of Social Services and Development through its Integrated Human Resources Development Program aims to promote the development of the youth, particularly the needy and the disadvantaged along social, economic, physical, intellectual and spiritual aspects and enable them to fully realize their human potentials and thus become self-reliant, economically productive and socially responsible citizens able to contribute to the development of the family and the community;

WHEREAS, the Kabataang Barangay under Presidential Decree No. 684 had defined the role of the youth and through its Batarisan Program under Letter of Instructions No. 640 a large number of out-of-school youths have acquired skills and found employment;

WHEREAS, private industries on their own are also non-formally and informally training the youth in specific job skills;

WHEREAS, these are other government agencies and instrumentalities that are engaged in Human Resource Development Program including private institutions and civic organizations;

WHEREAS, it becomes necessary that all these efforts should be integrated and coordinated and for the attainment of its objective National Equivalencies and Trade Standards should be established to implement pertinent provisions of Presidential Decree Nos. 6-A, 1139, 442, 684 and Letter of Instructions No. 640, as above mentioned.

WHEREAS, the youth, as ultimate beneficiaries of these programs should be given the opportunity to participate significantly in policy making;

NOW, THEREFORE I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Republic of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution, do hereby order and ordain:

SECTION 1. Creation of Accreditation and Equivalency Board. - There is hereby created an Accreditation and Equivalency Board to be composed of the following:

1. The Chairman of the Kabataang Barangay

Chairman

2. The Minister of Education and Culture and Sports

Member

3. The Minister of Labor and Employment

Member

4. The Director General of National Manpower and Youth Council

Member

5. The Minister of Social Services and Development

Member

6. The Minister of Agriculture

Member

7. The Executive Director of National Educational Testing Center

Member

SEC. 2. Functions of the Board. - the Board shall have the following functions:

1. To formulate policies, and guidelines to achieve the purposes of the National Accreditation and Equivalency Program;

2. To initiate a climate within the labor force which will encourage individual workers to develop themselves; and

3. To formulate guidelines for member institutions in their implementation of sectoral accreditation policies.

SEC. 3. Expanded Functions of the National Educational Testing Center (NETC) of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports. - In line with the National policy on democratizing access to education at all levels, the NETC shall have the following expanded functions:

a. To establish an accreditation and equivalency scheme through examination and other assessment procedures to link the non-formal and formal system of education by accrediting skills, knowledge and experience acquired through non-formal means.

b. To administer the Philippine Educational Placement Test and such other tests as may be developed as tools for accrediting academic achievement gained by the youth outside school and conferring on them the corresponding formal education equivalency.

c. To undertake continuous follow up research studies of school leavers/other participants of Accreditation and Equivalency Program (ADP).

d. To identify deserving recipients of scholarship grants or any financial assistance from among the youth desirous of pursuing their education.

SECTION 4. Expanded Functions of the NMYC in the Administration of the National Trade Skills Standards. - Under Article 48 of the New Labor Code, the NMYC is required to establish national trade skill standards in consultation with employers and workers organizations and appropriate government authorities and thereafter to administer the standards. In the pursuance of its objectives, the NMYC shall have the following expanded functions:

a. To establish an accreditation and equivalency scheme through trade skills testing and certification to link the non-formal and formal systems of education by accrediting skills and experience acquired through formal and non-formal means.

b. To include National Occupational Standards in National Trade Skills Standardization.

SEC. 5. Assistance from other offices. - The Board may call upon any ministry, bureau, agency or instrumentality of the government, including government-owned or controlled corporations for such assistance as may be needed in the attainment of its objectives.

Private individuals, entities and other institutions are enjoined to extend full support and cooperation for the accomplishment of the goals and objectives of the Accreditation and Equivalency Program.

SEC. 6. Funding. - The Ministry of the Budget is hereby authorized to release annually to the National Educational Testing Center through the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports One Million Pesos (P1,000,000.00) to be taken from the testing collections of said Ministry deposited in the National Treasury. All other member agencies shall contribute Two Hundred Thousand Pesos (P200,000.00) each to be taken from their respective budgetary allocations which shall be thereafter incorporated in their annual allocations. These contributions shall be pooled and shall be applied for purposes of accreditation and equivalency as may be determined by the Board.

SEC. 7. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect immediately.

DONE in the City of Manila, this 21st day of September, in the year of Our Lord nineteen hundred and eighty-one.


By the President:

(SGD.) JOAQUIN T. VENUS, JR.
Deputy Presidential Executive Assistant