Universal Access to Learning Resources Act
Filed on May 5, 2026, and referred to the Committees on Higher, Technical and Vocational Education; Science and Technology; and Finance; it has been pending in committee since then with no recorded action.
The bill addresses the digital divide in education, particularly for students in rural areas.
The bill responds to the ongoing digital divide exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Universal Access to Learning Resources Act
The Universal Access to Learning Resources Act aims to provide digital learning resources and high-speed internet access to students in state universities and colleges (SUCs) by establishing a National Academic Content Repository (NACR) and campus-wide Wi-Fi.
Compared with current law:
Students have limited access to digital learning resources and unreliable internet.
Students will have free access to a centralized repository of digital learning materials and campus-wide high-speed Wi-Fi.
The NACR is a centralized platform managed by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) that will host free and quality-assured digital learning resources, including textbooks and educational materials for students and faculty in state universities and colleges.
Source · full text✦ Dashed tags are AI-suggested nuance; solid tags follow the committee taxonomy.
Stalled: the bill has sat in committee for several months with no action since its referral on May 6, 2026.
No floor deliberations yet — this measure has not reached plenary. Its committee-stage actions appear under Legislative history above.
Sendie Officp of the saecretate TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) First Regular Session MAY -5 P3:42 SENATE RECEIVED BY: 2100 S. No. _ Introduced by Senator Loren Legarda AN ACT PROVIDING UNIVERSAL ACCESS TO DIGITAL LEARNING RESOURCES FOR STUDENTS IN STATE UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES THROUGH THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A NATIONAL ACADEMIC CONTENT REPOSITORY AND CAMPUS-WIDE HIGH-SPEED WI-FI, AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR EXPLANATORY NOTE Access to quality education is both a constitutional mandate and a fundamental right. In an increasingly digital world, equitable access to knowledge and learning materials can no longer depend solely on printed textbooks or physical classrooms. The integration of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) into higher education has reshaped how students learn, how faculty teach, and how institutions generate and share knowledge. Yet the digital divide persists. Students in State Universities and Colleges (SUCs), particularly those in rural and geographically isolated areas, continue to face the dual burden of prohibitive costs of learning materials and unreliable internet connectivity. The COVID-19 pandemic laid bare these inequities: thousands of students were left behind due to limited access to digital resources and stable internet. This measure institutionalizes universal access to digital learning tools by establishing a National Academic Content Repository (NACR), a centralized, government-managed platform hosting free and quality-assured digital textbooks and open educational resources, alongside campus-wide high-speed Wi-Fi in all SUCs. It also provides a dedicated funding mechanism to ensure sustainability and
accountability. Reliable internet connectivity and open academic content must be recognized as essential infrastructure for educational equity and national development. In doing so, we empower our students, support our faculty, and advance inclusive growth. In view of the foregoing, the immediate passage of this measure is earnestly sought. LOREN LEGARDA
Senate Office of the Soccretary TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 26 MAY -5 P3:42 First Regular Session ) SENATE RECEIVED BY: S. No. — 2100 Introduced by Senator Loren Legarda AN ACT PROVIDING UNIVERSAL ACCESS TO DIGITAL LEARNING RESOURCES FOR STUDENTS IN STATE UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES THROUGH THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A NATIONAL ACADEMIC CONTENT REPOSITORY AND CAMPUS-WIDE HIGH-SPEED WI-FI, 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 "Universal Access to
Learning Resources Act".
Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is the policy of the State to promote the right
4 of all citizens to quality education and to ensure that higher education institutions are 5 equipped with the tools necessary to deliver accessible, inclusive, and relevant 6 instruction. Toward this end, the State shall provide equitable access to digital learning 7 resources for all students enrolled in state universities and colleges (SUCS), harness information and communications technology to bridge the digital divide in higher 9 education, and support the development and open sharing of locally produced 10 academic content.
Sec. 3. Establishment of the National Academic Content Repository. - There is
12 hereby established a National Academic Content Repository (NACR) to be managed 13 by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), in technical partnership with the 14 Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and in
1 coordination with SUCs. The NACR shall serve as the central government platform for 2 the storage, curation, and dissemination of quality-assured digital learning resources. 3 It shall: 4 (a) Host digital textbooks, e-books, lecture videos, syllabi, research papers, course modules, open educational resources (OERs), and other digital learning materials spanning all academic disciplines offered in SUCs; (b) Provide free and unencumbered online access to all students and faculty of SUCs nationwide, accessible through web-based and mobile platforms; (c) Ensure that all content hosted therein is quality-assured, up-to-date, inclusive, accessible to persons with disabilities, and culturally relevant to the Philippine context; (d) Maintain a metadata and cataloguing system consistent with international library and open access standards to facilitate search, retrieval, and attribution. (e) Provide mechanisms for faculty-generated content, with appropriate academic recognition, attribution, and intellectual property protections in accordance with existing law.
Sec. 4. Digital Content Development and Acquisition. - To populate and sustain
the NACR, CHED shall: (a) Acquire licenses for digital textbooks and learning resources for courses offered across SUCs, with preference given to open access or perpetual license arrangements; (b) Establish a grant program for locally-produced academic content to promote the creation and digitization of localized, open educational resources by SUC faculty members and academic units; (c) Enter into partnership arrangements with national and international academic publishers, libraries, and open access networks to secure affordable or no-cost access to peer-reviewed content; (d) Constitute Content Review Panels composed of discipline-specific subject matter experts, drawn from SUC faculties and CHED-recognized professional organizations, to evaluate the academic quality, accuracy, and appropriateness of all content prior to inclusion in the NACR; and
(e) Establish a content update cycle ensuring that all hosted materials are reviewed for currency and accuracy at least once every three (3) years, or more frequently as determined by CHED.
Sec. 5. Campus-Wide High-Speed Wi-Fi Access. - The DICT, in coordination
5 with CHED and SUCs, shall provide and maintain campus-wide high-speed Wi-Fi 6 infrastructure in all SUCs nationwide. Such Wi-Fi access shall: (a) Be provided free of charge to all currently enrolled students and faculty of each respective SUC; (b) Meet minimum bandwidth and speed standards to be prescribed jointly by DICT and CHED, sufficient to support simultaneous access to the NACR and other academic services; (c) Be deployed across all major campus areas, including classrooms, libraries, dormitories, and common areas; (d) Incorporate cybersecurity measures to ensure network integrity, data protection, and user privacy in compliance with Republic Act No. 10173, otherwise known as the Data Privacy Act of 2012, and other applicable laws; and (e) Be operated and maintained by each SUC in coordination with DICT, subject to technical standards and guidelines issued by DICT. Priority for initial deployment and funding allocation shall be given to SUCs in underserved, rural, geographically isolated, and disadvantaged areas, as identified by CHED and DICT in consultation with the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev).
Sec. 6. Responsibilities of SUCs. - Each SUC shall:
(a) Designate an Open Learning Resources Unit or, where institutional capacity is limited, a duly authorized officer, to serve as the institutional focal point for coordination with CHED and DICT on matters pertaining to the NACR and campus Wi-Fi; (b) Integrate NACR resources into library and information services, course syllabi, and academic delivery systems; (c) Promote faculty participation in the creation, adaptation, and use of digital
content from the NACR; (d) Incorporate digital literacy, academic integrity, and responsible use of online resources into relevant academic programs and student orientation activities; (e) Maintain, operate, and secure campus Wi-Fi infrastructure in accordance with standards set by DICT; and (f) Submit annual reports to CHED on NACR utilization rates, Wi-Fi coverage, user feedback, and related institutional performance indicators.
Sec. 7. Capacity Building, Technical Assistance, and Incentives. - CHED and
DICT shall jointly: (a) Design and deliver training programs for SUC faculty and staff on digital content creation, OER development, use of the NACR, and digital pedagogy; (b) Provide technical assistance to SUCs for Wi-Fi installation, server infrastructure setup, and NACR integration, with priority to under-resourced institutions; (c) Establish a recognition and incentive program for faculty and academic units whose content contributions to the NACR achieve national reach or significant academic impact; and (d) Develop and update guidelines on open licensing, intellectual property in digital academic content, and ethical use of Al-generated materials, consistent with evolving global best practices.
Sec. 8. Monitoring, Evaluation, and Reporting. - CHED, in coordination with
DICT, shall: (a) Establish a monitoring and evaluation framework for the NACR and campus Wi- Fi programs, including key performance indicators aligned with national higher education goals and international benchmarks; (b) Conduct an annual review of implementation progress, content quality, access equity, and infrastructure performance; (c) Make the annual report publicly available on the CHED and DICT official websites.
Sec. 9. Appropriations. - The amount necessary to carry out the provisions of
this Act shall be charged against the current year's appropriations of CHED and DICT. 31 Thereafter, such sums as may be necessary shall be included in the annual General
1 Appropriations Act.
Sec. 10. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within ninety (90) days from
the effectivity of this Act, CHED and DICT, in coordination with DBM, SUCs, and other 4 stakeholders, shall issue the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) to carry out 5 the provisions of this Act.
Sec. 11. Separability Clause. - If any portion or provision of this Act is declared
7 unconstitutional, the remainder of this Act or any provisions not affected thereby shall remain in force and effect.
Sec. 12. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive
10 order, letter of instruction, rule or regulation inconsistent with the provisions of this 11 Act is hereby repealed or modified accordingly.
Sec. 13. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect after fifteen (15) days following
its complete publication in the Official Gazette or a newspaper of general circulation. Approved,
Reproduced from the Senate document. The official PDF is the authoritative version.