Press Release - Chiz's committee tackles 25 bills to create more campuses, boost higher education

The Committee on Higher, Technical and Vocational Education chaired by Sen. Chiz Escudero on Wednesday (Feb. 28) conducted its public hearing on 25 education bills, including Senate Bill 2469 that seeks to rename the Philippine Merchant Marine Academy (PMMA) into the Philippine National Maritime Academy (PNMA) and provides for the establishment of school campuses in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

The creation of campuses now incorporated in SB 2469 was an original proposal of Escudero during the May 2023 committee hearing, when its counterpart measure in the lower chamber (House Bill 6994) was tackled.

Instead of requiring a cadet from each of the country's 253 legislative district as proposed in HB 6994, the veteran legislator suggested the establishment of more campuses to increase the number of cadets.

The Senate version, which was filed by Senator Francis Tolentino, also converts the PMMA as the primary institution for the basic and continuing higher education and training of maritime professionals and leaders for national development and security.

It also intends to expand the curriculum and course offerings of the academy "to make it more adaptable to the progressive and changing domestic and international maritime industry."

The Senate panel approved the bill in principle, subject to some refinements as discussed during the hearing.

In the same hearing, Escudero declined the passage of House Bill 9292 or the proposed "Personal Financial Literacy Course in the Technical-Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Act" and instead proposed to convert it into a resolution.

"The chairperson reiterates that, as a rule, the committee does not legislate amendments to the curriculum, because it should not be etched in stone. I propose to convert HB 9292 into a resolution that urges the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) to include personal financial literacy course in TVET in its curriculum," Escudero said.

The other bills tackled during this morning's hearing are the following:

A. Conversion of State Universities and Colleges (SUCs)

House Bill 9314 - An Act Converting the Baao Community College in the Municipality of Baao, Province of