Philippine Qualifications Framework (PQF) Act PDF

REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10968 AN ACT INSTITUTIONALIZING THE PHILIPPINE QUALIFICATIONS FRAMEWORK (PQF), ESTABLISHING THE PQF-NATIONAL COORDINATING COUNCIL (NCC) AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR "PQF Act"  Pursuant to the constitution...

REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10968 AN ACT INSTITUTIONALIZING THE PHILIPPINE QUALIFICATIONS FRAMEWORK (PQF), ESTABLISHING THE PQF-NATIONAL COORDINATING COUNCIL (NCC) AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR "PQF Act"  Pursuant to the constitutional guarantee for the State to promote the right of all citizens to quality and accessible education at all levels, the State shall establish, maintain, and support a complete, adequate and integrated system of education relevant to the needs of the people and society. In recognition of the important role of education and training in national development, it is hereby declared the policy of the State to institutionalize the Philippine Qualifications Framework (PQF) to encourage lifelong learning of individuals, provide employees specific training standards and qualifications aligned with industry standards, ensure that training and educational institutions comply with specific standards and are accountable for achieving corresponding learning outcomes, and provide government with a common taxonomy and qualifications typology as bases for recognizing education and training programs as well as the qualifications formally awarded and their equivalents. Qualifications It refers to the formal certification that a person has successfully achieved specific learning outcomes relevant to the identified academic, industry or community requirements. It confers official recognition of value in the labor market and in further education and training. Philippine Qualifications Framework (PDF) Shall be established which shall describe the levels of educational qualifications and sets the standards for qualification outcomes. It is a quality assured national system for the development, recognition and award of qualifications based on standards of knowledge, skills and values acquired in different ways and methods by learners and workers of the country. The objectives of PQF: To adopt national standards and levels of learning outcomes of education To support the development and maintenance of pathways and equivalencies that enable access to qualifications and to assist individuals to move easily and readily between the different education and training sectors and between these sectors and the labor market To align domestic qualification standards with the international qualifications framework thereby enhancing recognition of the value and comparability of Philippine qualifications and supporting the mobility of Filipino students and workers. Philippine Qualifications Framework-National Coordinating Council (PQF-NCC) Chairperson: DepED Secretary Members: Secretary of Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Chairperson of CHED Director General of TESDA Chairperson of Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) 1 representative of the economic sector 1 representative of the industry sector Power and Functions of PQF-NCC To harmonize qualification levels across basic, technical-vocational and higher education To align education standards and learning outcomes with the level descriptors contained in the PQF To promote the PQF and its elements, including the principles, key features, definitions or terminologies, structure, and governance arrangements, and provide information and in the implementation of the PQF To rationalize the quality assurance mechanisms in Philippine education To develop and recognize pathways and equivalencies To maintain the national registry of qualifications Power and Functions of PQF-NCC To ensure the international alignment of the PQF with the qualification frameworks of other countries or regions To create technical working groups in support of the development and implementation of the PQF To represent the country in international fora or negotiations in line with qualifications agreements or arrangements To review and update the PQF To submit to the Office of the President, the Senate of the Philippines, and the House of Representatives an updated report on the progress and accomplishments in relation to the PQF Establishment of the PQF-NCC Working Groups To pursue the implementation of the PQF, working groups shall be established, especially in the areas of qualifications register, quality assurance, pathways and equivalencies, information and guidelines, and international alignment. Each working group shall be chaired by a member-agency as may be designated by the PQF-NCC. Participation of the Industry Sector Industry sector representatives shall be consulted and tapped in the development and implementation of the PQF to ensure the alignment of educational outcomes with industry requirements and add to the value of qualifications within the workplace. Framework and Level Descriptors The PQF shall incorporate the qualifications level descriptors defined in terms of knowledge, skills and values, application, and degree of independence. The PQF-NCC shall make detailed descriptors for each qualification level following the principles of lifelong learning and the recognition of prior learning from previous informal experiences, while incorporating the learning standards in basic education, competency standards of training regulations, and the policies and standards of higher education academic programs. The PQF-NCC members shall jointly implement national pilot programs to determine their relevance and applicability in all levels of education. The DOLE shall provide the necessary and updated labor market information regarding the demand for specific qualifications and emerging occupations as bases for the prioritization of learning standards development.  The PQF has eight (8) Levels of qualifications differentiated by descriptors of expected learning outcomes along the three domains: knowledge, skills and values; application; and degree of independence. Senior High School - the foundation of the 8 levels. TESDA: National Certificates (NC) I through IV CHED: Baccalaureate, Postgraduate Diploma, Masters, and Doctorate Domains & Descriptors.docx Review of Assessment System The PRC and the CHED shall review the system of assessment of learning outcomes and align them with those of the PQF. Permanent Secretariat The PQF-NCC shall organize 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. The PQF-NCC shall determine the structure, composition, staff qualifications and the location of the permanent secretariat. Identification of Priority Sectors As a preliminary approach to the implementation of the PQF and to ensure its more focused implementation, the CHED, the TESDA and the DepED, in consultation with the industry, the DOLE, the PRC, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), and other related agencies, are directed to identify priority sectors and programs for the PQF, taking into account labor market realities. Support from Other Government Agencies The DOST, the NEDA, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), and other related agencies are hereby mandated to extend the necessary support and provide relevant inputs towards the effective implementation of the PQF. Appropriations The amount necessary for the initial implementation of this Act shall be sourced from the current budgets and development funds of the CHED, TESDA and DepED. The funds necessary for the continuous implementation of this Act in the ensuing years shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act. Implementing Rules and Regulations Within ninety (90) days after the effectivity of this Act, the DepED, CHED, TESDA, DOLE and PRC, in consultation with relevant stakeholders, shall issue the necessary rules and regulations for the effective implementation of this Act.  Approved: January 16, 2018 Signed by: RODRIGO ROA DUTERTE President of the Philippines