BATAS PAMBANSA Blg. 392
An Act Converting the Lagangilang Agricultural College into the Abra State Institute of Sciences and Technology, Expanding for this Purpose its Curricular Programs in Agriculture, Sciences and Technology
Section 1. The present Lagangilang Agricultural College located in the Municipality of Lagangilang, Province of Abra, is hereby converted into the Abra State Institute of Sciences and Technology, hereinafter referred to in this Act as the College.
Section 2. The College shall primarily provide technological, professional, technical and vocational education and shall inspire leadership in the field of agriculture, forestry, home technology, agricultural education and industry, through scientific research and extension.
Section 3. In addition to its present secondary agricultural course, undergraduate courses leading to the degrees of Bachelor in Science in Agriculture and Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Education, two-year technician courses for agriculture and forest ranger, the College shall offer other courses leading to the degrees of Bachelor of Science in Home Technology, Bachelor of Science in Forestry and Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Engineering; postgraduate courses leading to the degree of Master Science in Agricultural Education and such other courses as the Board of Trustees may deem wise and necessary.
Section 4. No student, provided he qualifies in the National College Entrance Examination test, shall be denied admission to the College by reason of sex, ethnic considerations or religious belief. Those who do not qualify can be admitted in the two-year technical courses. All applicants for admission must have to pass the College entrance examination.
Section 5. The head of the College shall be known as the President of the Abra State Institute of Sciences and Technology. He shall be appointed by the President of the Philippines.
The powers and duties of the President of the College, in addition to those specifically provided for in this Act, shall be those usually pertaining to the office of the president of a college.
Section 6. The governing body of the College shall be the Board of Trustees of the Abra State Institute of Sciences and Technology. It shall be composed of the Minister of Education, Culture and Sports who shall be the chairman, the Director of Higher Education, the Director of Secondary Education, the President of the College and the Member of the Batasang Pambansa coming from Abra, as ex officio members and two prominent residents of Abra who are distinguished leaders in agriculture, forestry and other industrial fields.
The non-ex officio members of the Board of Trustees shall be appointed by the President of the Philippines. Of the first group appointed, the President shall designate one to serve for two years and the other to serve for four years. Thereafter, persons appointed to succeed such members shall hold office for a term of four years and until their successors shall have been appointed and qualified. In case of permanent vacancy, the position shall be filled by appointment by the President of the Philippines. Such appointment shall hold office for the unexpired term only.
When the Minister of Education, Culture and Sports is unable to perform his duties as Chairman of the Board due to illness, absence or other causes, or in the case of vacancy in the office, the Deputy Minister of Education, Culture and Sports shall temporarily perform the functions of the Chairman of the said Board. When both the Minister and the Deputy Minister of Education, Culture and Sports are unable to exercise the powers of the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, the Members of the Batasang Pambansa coming from Abra shall act as temporary chairman thereof.
Section 7. The members of the Board of Trustees shall serve without compensation other than a per diem of one hundred pesos each per session of the Board and that expenses incurred either in attendance upon meetings of the Board or upon other official business shall be reimbursed as authorized by resolution thereof, subject to existing budget laws on honoraria and allowances.
Section 8. In addition to its general powers of administration, the Board of Trustees shall have the following powers and duties:
(a) To receive and appropriate for the purposes specified by law such sums as may be provided for the support of the College;
(b) To confer degrees upon successful candidates for graduation of the College. It may also confer the usual honorary degrees upon persons in recognition of learning, statesmanship or eminence in science, agriculture, forestry, industry or public service related to such fields;
(c) Subject to Civil Service Law, rules and regulations, to appoint, upon recommendation of the President of the College, the registrar, the deans of the different schools of the College, the heads of departments, professors, instructors, lecturers and other employees of the College and to fix their compensation, subject to Presidential Decree No. 985 and other pertinent budget and compensation laws; to prescribe hours of service, duties and the conditions of work as it may deem proper; to grant to them, in its discretion, leave of absence under such regulations as it may promulgate, any provision of law to the contrary notwithstanding, and to remove them for cause after investigation and hearing pursuant to Civil Service Law governing disciplinary action;
(d) To approve the curricula and rules of discipline drawn up by the College Council as hereinafter provided;
(e) To provide fellowships and scholarships for deserving faculty members and students;
(f) To prescribe rules for its own government and for this purpose, to enact such regulations not contrary to law, as may be necessary;
(g) To receive in trust legacies, gifts and donations of the real and personal property of all kinds and to administer the same for the benefit of the College or of a department thereof, or for aid to any student in accordance with the directions and instructions of the donors, and in default thereof, in such manner as the Board of Trustees may in its discretion determine;
(h) To provide vocational training and retraining of adult citizens and out-of-school-youths; and
(i) To name after prominent Filipinos or heroes any building, annex, ground, or branch of the College.
Section 9. A quorum of the Board of Trustees shall consist of a majority of all the members holding office at the time the meeting of the Board is called. All processes against the Board of Trustees shall be served on the President or Secretary thereof.
Section 10. On or before the fifteenth day of June each year, the Board of Trustees shall submit to the President of the Philippines a detailed report, setting forth the program, condition, and needs of the College.
Section 11. There shall be a College Council composed of the President of the College as chairman and the faculty of the College who teach collegiate courses as members. The council shall have the power to prescribe the curricula and rules of discipline, subject to the approval of the Board of Trustees. It shall fix the requirements for admission to the College, as well as for graduation and the conferring of degrees, subject to review by the Board of Trustees. The council alone shall have the power to recommend students or others to be recipients of degrees. Through the President of the College or a duly authorized committee, the council shall have the disciplinary power over the students within the limits prescribed by the rules of discipline.
Section 12. The body of instructors and professors of the College shall constitute the faculty of the College, with the President of the College as the presiding officer.
No member of the faculty of the College shall attempt directly or indirectly, under penalty of dismissal by the Board of Trustees, to influence students or employees of the College toward any ideology, political or otherwise, which preaches the overthrow of the government through violence or subversion.
Section 13. There shall be a secretary of the College who shall be appointed by the Board of Trustees upon recommendation of the President of the College.1âwphi1 He shall be the secretary of the Board also of the College, and shall keep the records of the College as may be determined by the Board of Trustees.
Section 14. The Treasurer of the Philippines shall be ex officio treasurer of the College. All accounts and expenses therefor shall be audited by the Commission on Audit and all disbursements shall be made in accordance with existing auditing rules and regulations.
Section 15. Heads of bureaus and offices of the national government are hereby authorized to loan or transfer, upon request of the President of the College, such apparatus, equipment or supplies as may be needed by the College and to detail employees for duty therein when in the judgment of the head of the bureau or office, such apparatus, equipment, supplies or the services of such employees can be spared without serious detriment to the public service. Employees so detailed shall perform such duty as is required under such detail, and the time so employed shall be counted as part of their regular official service.
Section 16. The requirements provided in this Act as may prove adverse to the present faculty and employees to the Lagangilang Agricultural College who may be absorbed by the Abra State Institute of Sciences and Technology shall not apply to them, except for the position of the President of the College who shall be appointed by the President of the Philippines upon the recommendation of the Board of Trustees. The Board shall nominate the best man in the Ilocos, particularly in Abra, who has the best qualifications, both in education, training and experiences to be recommended as the President of the College. Future appointees to the said College shall be subject to all the requirements provided in this Act.
Section 17. All parcels of land, buildings, equipment and facilities owned by the Lagangilang Agricultural College, as well as all obligations and appropriations thereof, shall be transferred to the Abra State Institute of Sciences and Technology. The necessary sum for the operation and maintenance of the new state college shall be provided for in subsequent General Appropriations Acts, until which the time the operation of the institution as an institute shall be deferred, provided that its new name shall take effect upon approval of this Act.
Section 18. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.
Approved: May 18, 1983
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