Reorganization of Regional Development Councils

Policy, purpose, and educational direction

The decree directs the conversion to address national development priorities, including mass poverty, unemployment and underemployment, and social justice through the democratization of educational opportunities.
The conversion is intended to harness national human resources by improving individuals’ physical, intellectual and material well-being.
The decree adopts a polytechnic program approach designed to provide employable skills and managerial know-how to make individuals creative, producive, and self-reliant.
The decree states that the existing occupation-oriented programs and related offerings of the Philippine College of Commerce are polytechnic in content, scope and direction and should guide the new university’s orientation.
The conversion positions the university as an instrument for democratization of educational opportunities and development of a strongly-based egalitarian society.

Conversion into Polytechnic University of the Philippines

The Philippine College of Commerce is converted into a university known as the “Polytechnic University of the Philippines”, referred to as the University.
The University primarily provides higher occupational, technical and professional instruction and training in the applied arts and sciences.
The University also promotes applied research, advance studies, and progressive leadership in its stated fields.
The University must take steps to enrich its academic program in fields such as agriculture, arts and trades, and fisheries by integrating courses necessary to produce highly-technical and managerial skills.
The University’s curricular expansion includes programs in other polytechnic areas beyond its present offerings.

Academic offerings and expansion scope

The University retains and continues ladder-type higher vocational, technical and professional programs in areas of business and distributive arts, education, and the social sciences related to the fields of commerce and business administration.
The University shall offer programs in other polytechnic areas in addition to its existing offerings.
The University shall integrate necessary courses to develop individuals with highly-technical and managerial skills in expanded academic fields such as agriculture, arts and trades, and fisheries.
The University must disperse its programs in the countryside through a system of regional branches.
The decree treats the existing “Classroom-in-the-factories” program and continuing non-formal education programs for skills in rural development, as well as short-term programs for youth and adults, as part of the polytechnic orientation that underpins the conversion.

University leadership: President and governance

The head of the University is the President of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines.
The President is appointed by the President of the Philippines upon recommendation of the Secretary of Education and Culture, after consultation with the University Board of Regents.
The President’s powers include those normally pertaining to the Office of the President of a University.
The President is designated as the University’s Chief Executive Officer and is vested with progressive and dynamic intellectual and administrative leadership.
The President serves as head of the University Faculties and any branch thereof and exercises general supervision over all academic and business and financial operations.

President’s specific powers and administrative duties

The President shall promulgate and enforce general policies affecting any unit of the University.
The President shall take actions necessary to protect property and the general interest of the University, and to protect students and personnel, for the operation of the University as a whole.
The President shall inform the Board on all matters relating to the operation and welfare of the University.
The President shall appoint qualified persons to fill vacancies and new positions subject to the approval of the Board and may make arrangements for emergencies between Board meetings so University work does not suffer.
The President shall institute disciplinary action against any University personnel, faculty or non-faculty, and any student, whose actions adversely affect the general interest of the University.
The President shall decide appeals in controversies between ranking officials of the University, with decisions final and conclusive.
The President shall grant or deny sabbatical leaves and leaves of absence without pay and/or extensions, and grant or extend fellowships or any scholarship for a period not exceeding one academic year if the budget permits and for reasons the President deems satisfactory.
The President may make ad-interim appointments.

President’s permissions, reporting, and contracting powers

The President may grant or withhold permission to reveal confidential matters affecting the University or any unit thereof, as well as actions taken by the Board of Regents.
The President may grant permission for the use of University buildings and premises for academic, professional and scientific conventions, and for student and related activities, and shall fix the fee for such use.
The President is authorized to join in the execution of all contracts, deeds, and instruments necessary for the University’s business and may assign them on behalf of the University.
The President shall prepare an annual report on the work of the past year and needs of the current year, including a budget with estimates of income and expenditures.
The President has other powers specifically authorized by the Board of Regents and may delegate in writing any specific functions to any office.

Board of Regents composition and member roles

The governing body is the Board of Regents of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines.
The Board consists of: the Secretary of Department of Education and Culture as Chairman; the Director General of the National Economic Development Authority (or duly authorized representative); the Secretary of Department of Industry (or duly authorized representative); the Secretary of Department of Labor (or duly authorized representative); the President of the University; the President of the Alumni Association (provided the person is not in the employ of the University in any capacity whatsoever); and a prominent citizen representing the private sector.
If the Secretary of Department of Education and Culture is absent or unable as Chairman, the Undersecretary of Department of Education and Culture shall sit as Chairman; if there is no Secretary, the Undersecretary sits as Chairman.
If the Chairman is absent or unable, the University President shall automatically act as Chairman.
Board members serve without compensation, other than actual and necessary expenses incurred in attending meetings or other official business authorized by the Board.

Board powers, duties, fees, and trust administration

The Board has corporate powers under Section 13 of Act Numbered fourteen hundred fifty-nine, as amended (the Philippine Corporation Law).
The Board receives and appropriates support funds for the University as provided by law.
The Board confers degrees in graduate and undergraduate courses on successful candidates for graduation.
The Board appoints, on the recommendation of the President, professors, instructors, lecturers, and other faculty members, and other University officials and employees, and fixes their compensation, hours of service, and duties and conditions.
The Board may grant faculty members leave of absence under regulations it promulgates, and the Board may remove faculty for cause only after an investigation and hearing.
The Board fixes: tuition fees, matriculation fees, graduation fees, laboratory course fees, and all special fees.
The Board deposits such fees in a designated bank as a special trust fund subject to government audit.
The Board provides fellowships for faculty members and scholarships to students showing special evidence of merit.
The Board prescribes rules for its own government and enacts general ordinances and regulations for University governance consistent with the University’s purpose and not contrary to law.
The Board receives in trust legacies, gifts, and donations of real and personal property of all kinds for the benefit of the University or its Department, or for aid to students, following donor directions; if donor directions fail, administration is at the Board’s discretion.
The Board-administered donations are exempt from all taxes and are deductible items from the donors’ income tax.
The Board may import duty-free commodities for educational purposes as an exemption to existing laws.

Board meetings, quorum, and service

A quorum of the Board consists of a majority of all members.
Processes against the Board of Regents must be served on the President or the Board Secretary.

Regular and special Board meetings

Regular meetings occur every third Tuesday of the month.
Special meetings may be called upon by the Chairman or upon request of four (4) members of the Board.
Notice of special and regular meetings must be issued at least three (3) days prior to the meeting.

University administration personnel

The University officers of administration include: the University President, the Vice-Presidents, the Secretary of the University, and such other academic and administrative officials as may be determined by the Board of Regents for effective administration.

Regional branches and countryside dispersion

The University must disperse its programs through regional branches to extend educational access across the countryside.

Transfer of properties, land, obligations, and integrated schools

All parcels of land, buildings, equipment, and facilities owned by the Philippine College of Commerce are transferred to the Polytechnic University of the Philippines.
The transfer also includes obligations and appropriations relating to those assets.
The decree extends the transfer to “such other national schools as may be integrated by virtue of this decree.”
Integrated national schools continue to receive their corresponding shares from the special education fund of the concerned municipal/provincial/city government as they enjoy under existing laws and/or decrees.

Continuing policy on affiliation and integration

The University must maintain a continuing policy to accept the affiliation and/or integration within its operation of any existing national schools whose programs can contribute largely and effectively to attaining the University’s objectives.
For integration, the Secretary of Education and Culture is authorized to determine and approve the specific existing national schools to be integrated as part of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines.
In cases of integration, all funds, properties, other assets, and obligations of the integrated school are transferred to the University under the transfer rule governing integrated schools.

Appropriations for conversion and ongoing funding

In addition to the amount already appropriated for the Philippine College of Commerce, the decree appropriates THREE MILLION (P3,000,000.00) from any amount available in the Treasury of the Philippines for carrying out the decree.
Thereafter, sums necessary to carry out the decree’s provisions must be appropriated annually.

Repeal, separability, or sunset

The decree provides no separability, repealing clause, or sunset provision.