Eighth Congress
REPUBLIC ACT No. 7168 December 26, 1991
AN ACT CONVERTING THE PHILIPPINE NORMAL COLLEGE INTO A STATE UNIVERSITY TO BE KNOWN AS THE PHILIPPINE NORMAL UNIVERSITY
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:
Section 1. The Philippine Normal College in the City of Manila with branches in the Municipality of Prosperidad in the Province of Agusan, Municipality of Alicia in the Province of Isabela, Cadiz City in the Province of Negros Occidental and Municipality of Lopez in the Province of Quezon is hereby converted into a state university to be known as the Philippine Normal University, hereinafter referred to as the University. The main campus of the University shall be in the City of Manila.
Section 2. The University shall primarily provide higher professional and special instructions for special purposes and to promote research and extension services, advance studies and progressive leadership in education and other fields as may be relevant.
Section 3. The University shall offer undergraduate and graduate courses in the fields of education and other degree courses as the Board of Regents may deem necessary to carry out its objectives.
Section 4. The University shall have the general powers of a corporation set forth in the Corporation Law. The Administration of the University and the exercise of its corporate powers shall be vested exclusively in the Board of Regents and the President of the University insofar as authorized by the Board.
Section 5. The governing body of the University shall be the Board of Regents, hereinafter referred to as the Board, which shall be composed of the following:
Secretary of Education, Culture and Sports, Chairman
President of the University, Vice Chairman
Chairman of the Committee on Education of the Senate, Member
Chairman of the Committee of Education of the House of Representatives, Member
Representative of the National Economic and Development Authority, Member
President of the Federation of Faculty Associations of the University, Member
President of the Federation of Supreme Student Councils of the University, Member
In addition, the Board may appoint as members, the following when deemed necessary:
President of the Federation of Employees Associations of the University
Two (2) prominent citizens who have distinguished themselves in the fields of specialization of the University.
The Presidents of the Federation of Alumni Associations and of the Federation of Employees Associations, as well as the two (2) prominent citizens so appointed by the Board shall have the same powers, authority and privileges as the regular members of the Board.
The Secretary of Education, Culture and Sports, the President of the University, the Education Committee Chairmen of the Senate and the House of Representatives, and the representative of the National Economic and Development Authority shall have an ex officio term of office, while the Presidents of the Federation of the Faculty Associations and the Federation of Student Councils and, when deemed necessary, the President of the Federation of Alumni Associations and the Federation of Employee Associations shall serve for one (1) year, and when likewise necessary, the two (2) prominent citizens shall serve for four (4) years and two (2) years, respectively.
For the purpose of the provision of this Section, the associations of faculty, alumni and employees associations and student councils in each campus of the University shall organize their respective federations.
Section 6. The Board shall promulgate and implement policies in accordance with the declared state policies on education and other pertinent provisions of the Constitution on education, arts, culture and sports.
Section 7. The Board 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 existing laws:
a) To enact rules and regulations not contrary to law as may be necessary to carry out the purposes and functions of the University;
b) To receive and appropriate all sums as may be provided for the support of the University in the manner it may, in its discretion, determine to carry out the purposes and functions of the University;
c) To import duty-free essential commodities, materials and equipment for educational or technological programs as an exception to existing laws, provided such commodities, materials and equipment are not available locally;
d) To receive in trust legacies, gifts and donations of real and personal properties of all kinds and to administer and dispose the same when necessary for the benefit of the University and subject to the limitations, directions and instructions of the donor, if any. Such donations shall be exempt from all taxes and shall be considered as deductible items from the income tax of the donor;
e) To fix tuition fees and other necessary school charges, such as but not limited to matriculation fees, graduation fees and laboratory fees, as the Board may deem proper to impose. Such fees and charges, including government subsidies and other income generated by the University, constituted special trust funds and shall be deposited in any authorized government depository bank. Any and all interests that shall accrue therefrom shall form part of the same funds for the use of the University. Any provisions of existing laws to the contrary notwithstanding, incomes generated by the University, may at the discretion of the Board be disbursed for the professional growth and development, health, welfare and other similar benefits of the faculty members and personnel, for the acquisition, construction, maintenance and repair of urgently needed instructional and auxiliary facilities, equipment, buildings and other infrastructures and for expenses necessary for the attainment of its purposes under this Act. If for any reason, the University shall not be able to pursue any project for which funds have been appropriated for reasons beyond control allocated under its approved program of expenditures, the Board may authorized the use of said funds for any reasonable purpose which in its discretion may be necessary and urgent for the attainment of the objectives and goals of the University;
f) To authorize the construction or repair of its buildings, machines, equipment and other facilities and the purchase and acquisition of real and personal properties, including necessary supplies, materials and equipment. Purchases and other transactions entered into by the University through the Board shall be exempt from all taxes and duties;
g) To confirm appointments of vice presidents, deans, directors, heads of departments, faculty members and other officials and employees of the University made by the President of the University;
h) To fix and adjust salaries of faculty members and administrative officials and employees;
i) To approve the curricula, institutional programs and rules of discipline drawn by the Administrative and Academic Councils as herein provided;
j) To confer degrees upon successful candidates for graduation, to award honorary degrees upon persons in recognition of outstanding contribution in the field of education, or in any field of specialization;
k) To establish branches in the cities and provinces if and when it becomes essential and necessary where there is no existing school offering similar programs or courses to promote and carry out equal access to education opportunities as mandated by the Constitution;
l) To establish chairs in the University and to provide fellowships for qualified faculty members and scholarships to deserving students.
Section 8. A quorum of the Board shall consist of a majority of all members holding office at the time of the meeting: provided, however, that among those present are the Secretary of Education, Culture and Sports who is the Chairman of the Board, or the President of the University who acts as the presiding officer in the former's absence. The Board shall convene regularly once every two (2) months. The Chairman of the Board may call a special meeting whenever necessary.
The members of the Board shall not receive any salary but shall be entitled to reimbursement for actual and necessary expenses incurred either for attendance in meetings of the Board or for other official business authorized by resolution of the Board subject to existing laws on honoraria and allowances.
Section 9. The University shall be headed by a President to be appointed by the President of the Philippines upon recommendation of the Board and shall hold office for a term of six (6) years without reappointment unless he reaches the age of retirement or earlier removed for cause or incapacitated to discharge the duties of the office.
In case of vacancy in the Office of the President of the University by reason of death, resignation, incapacity of the President of the University to perform the functions of his office, or removal for cause, the Board shall have the authority to designate an officer-in-charge of the University pending the appointment of a successor. The new President of the University shall hold office for the unexpired term but in no case shall his term be more than six (6) years subject to the provision of the pending paragraph.
The powers and duties of the President of the University, in addition to those specially provided in this Act, shall be those usually pertaining to the Office of the President of the University.
The salary of the President of the University shall be fixed by the Board and shall be comparable to that being received by the President of similar educational institution of like enrollment and standing.
Section 10. The President of the University, whose term may be terminated according to this Act, shall be entitled to full retirement benefit under existing laws.
Section 11. There shall be an Administrative Council consisting of the President of the University, as Chairman, the vice president(s), deans, directors, and other officials of equal rank, whose duty is to implement the policies governing the administration, management and development planning of the University as provided by the Board.
Section 12. There shall be an Academic Council with the President of the University as Chairman and all the members of the instructional staff with the rank of not lower than assistant professor as members. The Academic Council shall have the power to prescribe curricular offerings subject to the approval of the Board. It shall fix the requirements for admission to the University as well as for graduation and the conferring of degrees subject to review and/or approval by the Board through the President of the University. It shall also have disciplinary power through the President of the University over the student within the limits prescribed by the rules of discipline as approval by the Board.
Section 13. There shall be a Secretary of the University who shall be appointed by the Board upon recommendation of the President of the University. He shall also be the Secretary of the Board and shall keep such records of the University as may be determined by the Board.
Section 14. The Treasurer of the Philippines shall be the ex officio treasurer of the University.
Section 15. Members of the faculty of the University shall be exempt from any civil service examination or regulation as a requisite for appointment. No religious opinion or affiliation shall be a matter of inquiry in the appointment of faculty members of the University: provided, however, that no member of the faculty shall teach for or against any particular church or religious sect.
Section 16. The President, the vice president(s), the deans, the professors and all members of the faculty and other personnel of the University shall be exempt from the rules and regulations of the Office of Compensation and Position Classification and the Civil Service Commission.
Section 17. No student shall be denied admission to the University by reason of sex, nationality, religion or political affiliation.
Section 18. The University shall enjoy academic freedom.
Section 19. The incumbent head of the Philippine Normal College, if qualified under the rules and regulations of the Department of Education, Culture and Sports shall be the officer-in-charge of the University pending the appointment of the President of the University.
Section 20. On or before the fifteenth day of the second month after the opening of regular classes each year, the Board shall file with the Office of the President of the Philippines through the Secretary of Education, Culture and Sports and to both Houses of Congress a detailed report on the progress, conditions and needs of the University.
Section 21. All the assets, fixed and movable, personnel and records of the Philippine Normal College in the City of Manila and its branches in the Municipality of Prosperidad in the Province of Agusan, Municipality of Alicia in the province of Isabela, Cadiz City in the province of Negros Occidental and Municipality of Lopez in the Province of Quezon, as well as liabilities or obligations, are hereby transferred to the University: provided, however, that the positions, rights, and security of tenure of personnel therein employed under existing laws prior to absorption by the University are not impaired: provided, further, that the incumbent of the positions shall remain the same status until otherwise provided for by the Board. All parcels of land belonging to the Government occupied by the Philippine Normal College in the City of Manila and its existing branches are hereby declared to be the property of the Philippine Normal University, and shall be titled under that name: provided, that should the university cease to exist or be abolished or should such parcels of land aforementioned be no longer needed by the University, the same shall revert to the provinces, municipalities or cities where they are located.
Section 22. All accounts and expenses of the University shall be audited by the Commission on Audit or its duly authorized representative.
Section 23. Heads of bureaus and offices of the National Government are hereby authorized to loan or transfer, upon request of the President of the University such apparatus, equipment or supplies as may be needed by the University, and to detail employees for duty therein, when, in the judgment of the head of the bureau or office, such apparatus, equipment, supplies or services of such employees can be spared without serious detriment to the public service. Employees so detailed shall perform such duties as required of them by the President of the University, and the time so employed shall be counted as part of their official service.
Section 24. It shall be a continuing policy of the University to accept the affiliation and/or integration within its operation of any existing national schools whose program can contribute largely and effectively to the attainment of its objectives: provided, however, that in case of integration, the Secretary of Education, Culture and Sports is hereby authorized to determine and approve the specific existing national schools that are to be integrated as part of the University. In this particular case, it is understood that all funds, properties, and other assets as well as obligations of the integrated schools shall be transferred to the University.
Section 25. The appropriations for the Philippine National College and its existing branches, are hereby transferred to the University. Such amount as may be necessary for the continued operation and maintenance of the University shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.
Section 26. All laws, presidential decrees, executive orders, rules and regulations contrary to or inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed, amended or modified accordingly.
Section 27. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.
Approved: December 26, 1991.
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