Question & AnswerQ&A (Republic Act No. 11197)
The short title of Republic Act No. 11197 is the "Zamboanga Sibugay Polytechnic Institute (ZSPI) Act."
The Kabasalan Institute of Technology in the Municipality of Kabasalan, Province of Zamboanga Sibugay is converted into the Zamboanga Sibugay Polytechnic Institute (ZSPI).
The Zamboanga Sibugay Polytechnic Institute operates under the supervision and administration of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).
The Institute shall restructure its technical-vocational education curricular programs to meet the demands of the industry and labor market, offer higher level competency qualifications, and provide various skills training and trade specialization courses to enhance employability, entrepreneurship, and social-economic development in the Province of Zamboanga Sibugay.
Priority admission and availment, including scholarships and financial assistance, are given to the most disadvantaged citizens of the Municipality of Kabasalan and the most economically depressed areas in the Province of Zamboanga Sibugay.
The Institute offers one-year to three-year TESDA-registered technical-vocational courses, undergraduate certificates, short-term courses, modular trainings, and skills development options in various fields such as industrial education, tourism, livelihood skills, business literacy, agriculture, technical-vocational occupations, IT-related skills, and seminars on personality development and career counseling.
The conversion becomes operationally effective only upon the issuance by TESDA of a formal recommendation and Certificate of Compliance that the Institute has satisfactorily complied with all TESDA minimum requirements and quality standards for polytechnic institutes.
The Institute is headed by a School Superintendent appointed by the TESDA Director General who is responsible for its administration and operation.
All assets, liabilities, personnel, records, and documents of the Kabasalan Institute of Technology shall be transferred to the Zamboanga Sibugay Polytechnic Institute. The positions, rights, and security of tenure of existing faculty and personnel shall not be impaired.
Initial funding shall be charged against the current appropriations of the Kabasalan Institute of Technology. Subsequent funding shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.