Revised University of Antique Charter

Senate Office of the Secretary TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 25 DEC 15 A11:11 First Regular Session SENATE RECEIVED BY: S. No. _ 1601 Introduced by Senator Loren Legarda AN ACT STRENGTHENING THE UNIVERSITY OF ANTIQUE, EXPANDING ITS CURRICULAR OFFERINGS AND THE COMPOSITION OF THE GOVERNING BOARD, AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR EXPLANATORY NOTE The University of Antique (UA), established under Republic Act No. 9746, has long stood as the province's foremost public institution of higher learning and a vital pillar of human capital development in Antique and the wider Western Visayas. Through its instruction, research, and extension programs, the University has consistently contributed to local growth, community empowerment, and the advancement of Antiqueño learners across generations. However, the rapid transformations in the academic, technological, and socio-economic landscape now demand a substantial strengthening of the University's institutional capacity. The University's current charter, while foundational, no longer fully reflects the needs and aspirations of its expanding academic community. Emerging disciplines in health, engineering, information technology, agriculture, climate resilience, governance, and the creative and cultural sectors require a modernized institutional framework that allows UA to develop programs aligned with regional and national priorities. These academic imperatives are compounded by increased enrollment, the need for improved research productivity, greater industry linkages, and the rising expectation for universities to drive innovation and local development.

This measure therefore proposes a revised University of Antique Charter that enhances the University's capacity to deliver quality, accessible, and future-ready education. It strengthens academic authority, ensures clearer governance structures, and grants the University the flexibility to expand curricular offerings in priority and emerging fields. The bill also reconstitutes the Board of Regents to reflect a broader, more inclusive representation of key sectors-government, faculty, alumni, students, and industry partners-thereby ensuring responsive and accountable institutional leadership. Crucially, the bill reinforces provisions that safeguard academic freedom, institutional autonomy, and fiscal responsibility-principles necessary for any higher education institution seeking to meet the challenges of a knowledge-driven economy. It likewise supports the development of research centers, innovation hubs, and community-based programs that directly address the province's needs, including disaster resilience, agricultural modernization, environmental protection, and cultural preservation. By modernizing the University's charter, this measure positions the University of Antique to more effectively contribute to regionally balanced development and to the long-term progress of Antique and the Western Visayas Region. In view of the foregoing, the immediate passage of this measure is earnestly sought. LOREN LEGARDA

Deltate Office of the sucretarp TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 25 DEC 15 A11:12 First Regular Session SENATE RECEIVED BY: S. No. _ 1601 Introduced by Senator Loren Legarda AN ACT STRENGTHENING THE UNIVERSITY OF ANTIQUE, EXPANDING ITS CURRICULAR OFFERINGS AND THE COMPOSITION OF THE GOVERNING BOARD, AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:

Section 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Revised University of

2 Antique Charter".

Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. - The State shall promote, foster, nurture, and

protect the right of all citizens to accessible quality education. It shall establish, maintain, and support a complete, adequate, and integrated system of education towards globalization that is relevant to the needs of the people and society. To this end, the University of Antique (UA) and its constituent units shall be 8 strengthened as a state university to enhance its capability to provide accessible quality education. It shall also be further strengthened by expanding its curricular offerings and the composition and powers of its governing board, developing the competencies and encouraging the specialization of its constituent units, engaging in conventional or alternative instructional techniques, methodologies and strategies, and fostering a unique and distinctive academic leadership towards the improvement of UA as an academic institution and the delivery of higher education services in the Province of Antique and the Western Visayas Region.

Sec. 3. University Campuses and Other Units. - The UA shall be composed of

1 the following existing regular campuses: UA-Main Campus in the Municipality of 2 Sibalom; UA-Tario Lim Memorial Campus in the Municipality of Tibiao; and UA-Hamtic 3 Campus in the Municipality of Hamtic, all in the Province of Antique. The UA shall also be composed of the following extension campuses, which 5 shall be converted into regular campuses upon the effectivity of this Act: the UA- 6 Caluya Campus in the Municipality of Caluya and the UA-Libertad Campus in the 7 Municipality of Libertad, both in the Province of Antique. The UA is also mandated to create new regular campuses in the Municipalities 9 of Tobias Fornier and San Remigio, both in the Province of Antique, to be known as 10 the UA-Tobias Fornier Campus and the UA-San Remigio Campus, respectively. The UA may open new branches or extension campuses in consortium with other academic institutions, as it may deem necessary, to improve access to quality education, promote innovation and progress in the academe, and advance its research capabilities, subject to applicable memoranda with other institutions: Provided, that the UA shall comply with the policies, standards, and guidelines of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) for the operation of regular or extension campuses. The existing reasonably-sized laboratory junior and senior high school shall continue to operate under the supervision of the College of Education of the UA to serve the in-campus requirements of its students

Sec. 4. General Mandate. - The UA shall primarily provide advanced education,

higher technological, professional courses and training programs in the arts, culture, agriculture, forestry, fisheries, education, law, medicine and allied health sciences, maritime education, social and natural sciences and technology, and other relevant fields of study. It shall also undertake research and extension services and production activities, and establish business incubation and innovation centers, enterprise labs and startup accelerators to help graduates pursue entrepreneurship and promote local job generation, in support of the socio-economic development of the Province of Antique and the Western Visayas Region.

Sec. 5. Curricular Offerings - The UA shall primarily offer undergraduate and

graduate courses, advanced professional and technical instruction and training within its areas of specialization in the fields of arts, culture, agriculture, forestry, fishery, education, law, medicine, nursing, maritime education, ecology, engineering,

information and communications technology, other social and natural sciences and 2 technology, and other relevant fields of study within its areas of specialization and 3 according to its capabilities, as the Board of Regents may deem necessary for the accomplishment of its objectives, and those which respond to the human resource 5 development needs of the Province of Antique and the Western Visayas Region: 6 Provided, That the UA shall comply with the policies, standards, and guidelines of the 7 CHED for the offering of courses and the introduction of new or revised programs.

Sec. 6. Sports, Culture, and the Arts. - The UA shall undertake and support

9 comprehensive sports programs, promote physical education, uphold excellence, and 10 encourage competitive participation in sports activities. It shall instill school identity and solidarity and cultivate pride, self-discipline, and teamwork. The UA shall strengthen culture and the arts and strategic national resources and promote its importance to our identity, social well-being, and in the preservation of the cultural heritage of the country.

Sec. 7. Administration - The UA shall have the general powers of a corporation

set forth in Republic Act (RA) No. 11232, otherwise known as the "Revised Corporation Code of the Philippines". The exercise of its corporate powers shall be vested exclusively in the Board of Regents, hereinafter referred to as the Board, and the President of the UA.

Sec. 8. The Governing Board. - The governing board of the UA shall be the

Board of Regents, hereinafter referred to as the Board. The Chairperson of the Board shall be the Chairperson of the CHED and the Vice-Chairperson shall be the President of the UA. The following shall be the members: (a) Chairperson of the Committee on Higher, Technical and Vocational Education of the Senate; (b) Chairperson of the Committee on Higher and Technical Education of the House of Representatives; (c) Regional Director of the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev); (d) Regional Director of the Department of Agriculture; (e) Regional Director of the Department of Science and Technology; (f) Regional Director of the CHED;

(g) President of the federation of faculty associations of the UA; (h) President of the federation of student councils of the UA; (i) President of the federation of alumni associations of the UA; (i) President of the nonteaching personnel association of the UA; and (K) Two (2) prominent citizens from the private sector who have distinguished themselves in their professions or fields of specialization. The Board shall appoint two (2) prominent citizens who shall be selected from a list of at least five (5) qualified persons from the Province of Antique as recommended by a Search Committee constituted by the President of the UA, in consultation with the Chairperson of the CHED and other members of the Board, based on the guidelines, qualifications and standards for the position set by the Board. 12 They shall serve for a term of two (2) years from the date of appointment. The terms of office of the Presidents of the federation of faculty associations, federation of student councils, federation of alumni associations, and the representative of the nonteaching personnel association of the UA shall be coterminous with their terms of office, as provided under their respective constitutions and bylaws.

Sec. 9. Powers and Duties of the Board. - The administration of the UA and

the exercise of its corporate powers are vested in the Board, which 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 Section 35 of RA No. 11232, the Board shall have the following specific powers and duties: (a) Promulgate and implement policies in accordance with the declared State policies on education, other pertinent provisions of the Constitution on education, agriculture, science and technology, and the policies, standards and thrusts of the CHED under RA No. 7722, otherwise known as the "Higher Education Act of 1994"; (b) Approve the curricula, instructional programs, and rules on student discipline drawn by the Administrative and Academic Councils, as herein provided;

(c) Appoint, upon the recommendation of the President of the UA, the vice presidents, deans, directors, heads of the campuses, faculty members, and other officials of the UA; (d) Prescribe the salaries of faculty members and administrative officials, and employees, subject to the provisions of RA No. 11466, otherwise known as the "Salary Standardization Law of 2019", and other laws amendatory thereto, civil service rules and regulations governing hours of service and such other requirements and conditions, other pertinent laws, rules and regulations; (e) Fix the tuition fees and other necessary school charges, such as matriculation fees, graduation fees, and laboratory fees, as the Board may deem proper to impose, after due consultation with the concerned sectors. The fees and charges, including government subsidies and other income generated by the UA, shall constitute its funds to be used exclusively in the pursuit of its mandate as a state university, and shall be deposited in any authorized government depository bank. All interests that shall accrue therefrom shall form part of the same funds for the use of the UA; The fees and charges collected by the UA, including government subsidies and proceeds from other income sources, as well as interests that would accrue therefrom, shall be retained by the University: Provided, That in no case shall the said income be used for the payment of allowances and other benefits not authorized by law: Provided, further, That all fiduciary fees shall be disbursed for the specific purpose for which they were collected; If the UA, for reasons beyond its control, would not be able to pursue any project for which funds have been appropriated and allocated under its approved program of expenditures, the Board may authorize the use of said fund for any reasonable purpose for which it deems necessary and urgent for the attainment of the objectives of the University: Provided, That funds collected from students for specific purposes shall not be realigned or reprogrammed to other expenditures;

(f) Adopt and implement a socialized scheme of tuition and other school fees for greater access of poor but deserving students in accordance with RA No. 10931, or the 30 "Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act"; (g) Establish professorial chairs in the UA and provide fellowships for qualified faculty members, and academic and athletic scholarships to deserving students; (h) Receive and appropriate sums as may be provided by law for the support of the UA, and all other sums in the manner it may, in its discretion, determine to carry out the purposes and functions of the UA; (i) Set the policies on admission and graduation of students; (j) Award honorary degrees upon persons in recognition of their outstanding contributions in the fields of education, public service, arts, science and technology, sports and human kinetics or any field of specialization within the academic competency of the UA, and authorize the awarding of certificates of completion of nondegree and nontraditional courses; Establish research and extension centers to promote the development (k) of the UA; (1) Develop academic arrangements for institutional capability building with appropriate institutions and agencies, whether public, private, local or foreign, and appoint experts or specialists as consultants, part-time, visiting or exchange professors, scholars or researchers, as the case may be; (m) Adopt modern and innovative modes of transferring knowledge for the promotion of greater access to education such as the use of information technology, the dual training system, open distance learning, and community laboratory; (n) Collaborate with the governing bodies of other state universities and colleges within the Province of Antique and the Western Visayas Region, under the supervision of the CHED and in consultation with the

Department of Budget and Management (DBM), in restructuring the UA to make it more efficient, relevant, productive and competitive; (o) Absorb non-chartered tertiary education institutions within the Province of Antique and the Western Visayas Region as branches, extension campuses, and external centers, in coordination with the CHED and in consultation with the DBM, and offer therein programs or courses to carry out the constitutional mandate of providing equal access to educational opportunities; (p) Authorize an external management audit of the UA, to be financed by the CHED, subject to the rules and regulations of the Commission on Audit, and institute reforms, including academic and structural changes, on the basis of the audit results and recommendations; (q) Develop consortia and other economic forms of linkages with local government units as well as public, private, local or foreign institutions and agencies for the furtherance of the purposes and objectives of the UA; Import books or publications, instruments, equipment and apparatuses for economic, technical-vocational, scientific, medical, philosophical, historical, legal or cultural purposes; (r) Enter into joint ventures with business and industry, after consultation with the DEPDev for the profitable development and management of economic assets, the proceeds of which shall be used for the development and strengthening of the UA; (s) Receive, in trust, all legacies, gifts, and donations of real and personal properties of all kinds and administer and dispose of the same, when necessary, for the benefit of the UA and subject to the limitations, directions, and instructions of the donor, if any; (t) Extend the term of the President of the UA beyond the age of retirement, but not beyond the age of seventy (70), based on the guidelines, qualifications, and standards set by the Board: Provided, That such extension shall be subject to the term limits provided in Section 11 of this Act: Provided, further, That the President's performance has been

rated by the Board as outstanding and a unanimous recommendation for such extension has been decided upon by the Search Committee; (u) Delegate any of its powers and duties provided to the President and other officials of the UA, as it may deem appropriate, so as to expedite the administration of the affairs of the UA; (v) Establish policy guidelines and procedures for participative and transparent decision-making within the UA; (w) Where most advantageous to the UA, outsource the management of non-academic services such as health, food, building or grounds or property maintenance, and such other similar activities; (x) Authorize the construction or repair of its buildings, machinery, equipment and other facilities, and the purchase and acquisition of real property, including the necessary supplies, materials, and equipment; and (y) Promulgate rules and regulations, as may be necessary, to carry out the purposes and functions of the UA.

Sec. 10. Meetings of the Board. - The Board shall regularly convene once every

three (3) months. The Chairperson of the Board may, however, call a special meeting whenever necessary: Provided, That members are notified in writing at least three (3) days prior to the conduct of said meeting. A quorum of the Board shall consist of a majority of all its members holding office at the time of the meeting: Provided, however, That the Chairperson of the Board or the President of the UA is among those present in the meeting. In case the Chairperson of the CHED cannot attend a meeting of the Board, a 25 CHED Commissioner duly designated by Chairperson of the CHED as representative to the meeting, shall have all the rights and responsibilities of a regular member: Provided, That during the meeting, the President of the UA, as Vice Chairperson, shall be the presiding officer: Provided, further, That this provision notwithstanding, the Chairperson of the CHED may designate a CHED Commissioner as the regular 30 Chairperson of the Board, in which case, the said CHED Commissioner shall act as the presiding officer.

In case the Chairpersons of the Senate Committee on Higher, Technical and 2 Vocational Education and the House Committee on Higher and Technical Education 3 cannot attend the Board meeting, they may designate their respective representatives, who shall have the same rights and responsibilities as regular members of the Board. The members of the Board shall not receive any salary, but shall be entitled to reimbursements for actual and necessary expenses incurred, either for their 8 attendance to the meetings of the Board or in connection with other official business 9 authorized by resolutions of the Board, subject to existing laws and regulations.

Sec. 11. The University President. - The UA shall be headed by a President

11 who shall be appointed by the Board, subject to its guidelines, qualifications and standards, and based on the recommendation of a Search Committee duly constituted for the purpose of selecting the President. The UA President shall render full-time service for a term of four (4) years, and may be reappointed to another term: Provided, That in order to ensure the attainment 16 of effective implementation of this Act, the incumbent President of the UA shall serve 17 a new term as the first President of the UA and shall be eligible for reappointment to another term. Within six (6) months before the expiration of the term of office of the President of the UA, the Board shall constitute the Search Committee for the Presidency, and shall ensure the appointment or reappointment of a president on or before the expiration of the term. The powers and duties of the President of the UA, in addition to those specifically provided for in this Act, shall include those usually pertaining to the Office of the President of similar state universities and colleges and those delegated by the Board. The salary of the President of the UA shall be in accordance with RA No. 11466, and such other laws amendatory thereto, which may hereinafter be enacted, and on the joint circular for state universities and colleges' leveling instruments, and guidelines of the CHED and the DBM. In case of a vacancy in the Office of the President by reason of death, compulsory retirement, resignation, removal for cause, or incapacity of the President

to perform the functions of the office, the Board shall designate an Officer-in-Charge 2 (OIC) of the UA, pending the appointment of a new President: Provided, That the OIC 3 shall serve only during the unexpired portion of the term. The President of the UA shall be assisted by the following officials: Vice 5 President for Academic Affairs; Vice President for Administration, Planning, and 6 Finance; Vice President for Research, Development, and Extension; Vice President for 7 Linkages, Production, and Research Generation; and Vice President for Quality 8 Assurance. They shall all be appointed by the Board upon the recommendation of the 9 President of the UA.

Sec. 12. The Secretary. - The Board shall appoint a Secretary who shall serve

11 as such for both the Board and the UA and shall keep all records and proceedings of meetings of the Board. The Secretary of the UA shall serve upon each member of the Board the appropriate notice of board meetings.

Sec. 13. The Treasurer. - The Treasurer of the Philippines shall be the ex officio

Treasurer of the UA.

Sec. 14. The Administrative Council. - There shall be an Administrative Council

consisting of the President of the UA as Chairperson, and the vice presidents, deans, directors, and other officials of equal rank, as members. The Administrative Council shall review and recommend to the Board the policies that shall govern the administration, management, and development planning of the UA.

Sec. 15. The Academic Council. - There shall be an Academic Council, which

shall formulate academic policies. It shall be composed of the President of the UA, who shall act as Chairperson, and all academic staff with the rank of at least an assistant professor, as members. The Academic Council shall review and recommend the curricular offerings and rules on student discipline, subject to the approval of the Board. It shall fix the requirements for the admission of students, as well as for their graduation and conferment of degrees, subject to the review and approval of the Board through the 29 President of the UA. It shall exercise disciplinary power over the students of the UA and formulate rules and regulations on student discipline, subject to the approval of the Board.

Sec. 16. Heads of University Campuses. - The UA campuses shall be headed

2 by a Campus Director who shall render full-time service for a term of two (2) years 3 and may be reappointed to another term. The Campus Director shall be appointed or designated by the Board, upon the recommendation of the Search Committee and the UA President, subject to the 6 guidelines, qualifications and standards set by the Board: Provided, That upon the 7 effectivity of this Act, the incumbent Campus Directors of the existing campuses of 8 the UA shall continue to serve as such.

Sec. 17. The Faculty. - No political belief, sex, gender preference, cultural or

10 community affiliation, ethnic origin, or religious opinion or affiliation shall be a matter 11 of inquiry in the appointment of faculty members of the UA: Provided, That said appointment shall be subject to the guidelines, qualifications and standards set by the Board: Provided, further, That no member of the faculty shall teach for or against any particular religious denomination.

Sec. 18. Academic Freedom. - The UA shall enjoy academic freedom pursuant

16 to Paragraph 2, Section 5 of Article XIV of the Constitution.

Sec. 19. Scholarship Programs and Admission. - The UA shall provide

18 scholarship programs and other affirmative action programs to assist poor but deserving students who qualify for admission to the UA. No student shall be denied admission to the UA by reason of sex, gender, religion, cultural community affiliation, and ethnic origin, or any other forms of discrimination.

Sec. 20. Loan or Transfer of Supplies, Apparatuses, or Equipment, and Detail

of Personnel. - Heads of national government agencies and instrumentalities may, upon the request of the Board, through the President of the UA, loan or transfer of supplies, apparatuses, or equipment, and detail personnel to the UA: Provided, That such loan, transfer or detail shall not be detrimental to public service. The personnel to be detailed to the UA shall perform such duties as may be deemed required by the President of the UA and the time spent for such duties shall be counted as part of the detailed personnel's regular service.

Sec. 21. Assets, Liabilities, and Personnel. - All assets, both real and personal,

personnel and records of the UA, as well as its liabilities or obligations, shall remain

1 under the name of the UA: Provided, That the positions, rights, and security of tenure 2 of faculty members and personnel therein employed under existing laws shall be respected: Provided, further, That the incumbents occupying the positions shall remain in the same status until otherwise provided for by the Board: Provided, finally, 5 That the UA shall also accordingly upgrade or increase its human resource component 6 as may be deemed appropriate by the Board. All parcels of land belonging to the government that are occupied by the UA 8 and all its campuses are declared as property of the UA and shall be titled under its name: Provided, That should the UA cease to exist or be abolished or should such 10 aforementioned parcels of land be no longer needed by the UA, the same shall revert 11 to the concerned local government units or to the Republic of the Philippines, as the case may be.

Sec. 22. Duty and Tax Exemptions. - The importation of books or publications,

instruments, equipment and apparatuses which are for economic, technical, 15 vocational, scientific, medical, philosophical, historical, legal or cultural purposes made 16 by the UA, upon certification by the CHED, shall be exempt from customs duties in 17 accordance with the provisions of RA 10863, otherwise known as the "Customs 18 Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA)". All grants, bequests, endowments, donations, and contributions made to and used actually, directly, and exclusively for educational purposes by the UA, shall be exempt from donor's tax and the same shall be considered as allowable deductions from gross income for purposes of computing the taxable income of the donor in accordance with the provisions of the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997, as amended.

Sec. 23. Development Plan, Management Audit, and Organizational,

Administrative, and Academic Structure. - Within one hundred twenty (120) days after the approval of this Act, the UA shall accomplish the following: (a) Submit a five (5)-year development plan, along with a five (5)-year provincial labor market and sectoral alignment plan (to be annexed to its development plan), including its program budget to the CHED for recommendation to the DBM;

(b) Set up its organizational, administrative, and academic structure, including the appointment of key officials of the UA; and (c) Undergo a management audit in coordination with the CHED.

Sec. 24. Filing of Report. - On or before the fifteenth (15th) day of the second

5 (2nd) month after the opening of regular classes each year, the Board shall file a 6 detailed report on the progress, condition, and needs of the UA with the Office of the 7 President of the Philippines and both Houses of Congress, through the Chairperson of the CHED.

Sec. 25. Suppletory Application. - The provisions of RA No. 8292, otherwise

10 known as the "Higher Education Modernization Act of 1997", shall form part of this 11 Act.

Sec. 26. Transitory Provision. - Upon the effectivity of this Act, all employees

of the UA shall be retained in their present positions and no one shall be adversely affected by the approval of the amendments to the original charter.

Sec. 27. Parity Clause. - All other powers, functions, privileges, responsibilities,

16 and limitations under existing laws shall be deemed granted to or imposed upon the 17 UA and its officials, whenever appropriate.

Sec. 28. Appropriations. - The amount necessary to carry out the initial

19 implementation of this Act shall be charged against the current year's appropriation 20 of the UA. Thereafter, such sums as may be necessary for the continued implementation of this Act shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.

Sec. 29. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within ninety (90) days from

23 the effectivity of this Act, the Board shall, in consultation with the CHED, formulate rules and regulations to implement its provisions.

Sec. 30. Separability Clause. - If, for any reason, any part or provision of this

26 Act is declared invalid or unconstitutional, the remaining parts or provisions not 27 affected are in full force and effect.

Sec. 31. Repealing Clause. - RA No. 9746, entitled "An Act Converting the

29 Polytechnic State College of Antique in the Municipality of Sibalom into a State University to be Known as the University of Antique, Including its Extension Campuses in the Municipalities of Hamtic and Tibiao, All Located in the Province of Antique and 32 Appropriating Funds Therefor", and other laws, presidential decrees, executive orders,

1 and rules and regulations contrary to or inconsistent with the provisions of this Act 2 are amended, repealed, or modified accordingly.

Sec. 32. Effectivity - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its

4 publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. Approved,