Executive Order No. 83




MALACAÑAN PALACE MANILA BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES EXECUTIVE ORDER No. 83 INSTITUTIONALIZATION OF THE PHILIPPINE QUALIFICATIONS FRAMEWORK WHEREAS, Section 2, Article XIV of the 1987 Constitution mandates the State to establish, maintain and support a complete, adequate and integrated system of education relevant to the needs of the people and society; WHEREAS, the present Philippine Education System has a unique trifocalized education management system, basic education, technical-vocational education and training and higher education; WHEREAS, the national agenda for inclusive growth, creation of employment opportunities and poverty reduction can only be achieved through collaboration and unity of purpose of the education and training sectors with industry; WHEREAS, one of the key result areas (KRAs) under Executive Order (EO) No. 43, is rapid, inclusive and sustained economic growth – one that generates jobs and livelihood for, and increase the income of the poor; WHEREAS, there are gaps in the education and labor sector brought about by poor information and the continuing disconnect between educational institutions and employment/industry trends which has brought about the mismatch in jobs and skills; and, WHEREAS, the adoption of a qualifications framework will benefit various sectors and stakeholders of education and training, particularly in: 1) encouraging lifelong learning of individuals; 2) providing employers specific training standards and qualifications that are aligned to industry standards; 3) ensuring that training and educational institutions adhere to specific standards and are accountable for achieving the same; and 4) providing the government with common standards, taxonomy and typology of qualifications as bases for granting approvals to stakeholders. NOW, THEREFORE, I, BENIGNO S. AQUINO III, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution and existing laws do hereby order: SECTION 1. Establishment of the Philippine Qualifications Framework. The Philippine Qualifications Framework (PQF) is hereby established with the following objectives: 1) To adopt national standards and levels for outcomes of education; 2) To support the development and maintenance of pathways and equivalencies which, provide access to qualifications and assist people to move easily and readily between the different education and training sectors and between these sectors and the labor market; and, 3) To align the PQF with international qualifications framework to support the national and international mobility of workers through increased recognition of the value and comparability of Philippine qualifications. SECTION 2. PQF National Coordinating Committee. The PQF National Coordinating Committee is hereby created to be Chaired by the Secretary of the Department of Education (DepEd) with the following as members: a) Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA); b) Commission on Higher Education (CHED); c) Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE); and, d) Professional Regulations Commission (PRC). SECTION 3. Functions of the PQF National Coordinating Committee. The PQF National Coordinating Committee shall issue the Implementing Rules and Regulations within sixty days of the effectivity of this EO. It shall also provide regular feedback on the progress and accomplishments to the Office of the President with respect to the implementation of this EO. SECTION 4. Participation of the Industry Sector. Industry sector representatives shall be consulted and tapped in the detailing and application of the PQF to ensure alignment of educational outcomes to job requirements. SECTION 5. Level Descriptors. The PQF shall incorporate an 8-level Qualifications Descriptors defined in terms of the following: knowledge, skills and values, application, and degree of independence. SECTION 6. Learning Standards. DepEd, TESDA and CHED shall make detailed descriptors for each qualification level based on learning standards in basic education, competency standards of training regulations, and the policies and standards of higher education academic programs. They shall jointly implement national pilot programs to determine its relevance and applicability in all levels of education. SECTION 7. Review of Licensure Examinations. The PRC and CHED shall review the framework and contents of the licensure examinations of each of the professions and align them with that of the PQF. SECTION 8. Technical Secretariat. To ensure efficient and effective implementation, DepEd, TESDA and CHED shall organize from their present staff complements a permanent Technical Secretariat. The Secretariat may contract the services of technical experts and authorities on relevant areas of concern such as equivalencies, accreditation, curriculum development, educational measurement and testing. SECTION 9. Funding. The funds necessary for the implementation of the PQF shall be charged against the existing appropriations of DepEd, TESDA and CHED.1âwphi1 SECTION 10. Repealing Clause. All issuances, orders, rules, and regulations or parts thereof which are inconsistent with the provisions of this EO are hereby revoked and/or modified accordingly. SECTION 11. Separability Clause. If any provision of this EO is declared invalid or unconstitutional, the other provisions unaffected shall remain valid and subsisting. SECTION 12. Effectivity Clause. This EO shall take effect immediately upon its publication in a newspaper of general circulation. DONE, in the City of Manila, this 1st day of October, in the year of our Lord, Two Thousand and Twelve. (Sgd.) BENIGNO S. AQUINO III By the President: (Sgd.) PAQUITO N. OCHOA, JR. Executive Secretary The Lawphil Project - Arellano Law Foundation