File photo of the Philippine Science High School main campus in Quezon City. —Grig C. Montegrande
MANILA, Philippines — A bill that seeks to expand the number of schools under the Philippine Science High School (PSHS) system has been approved by the House on third and final reading.
At the plenary session on Wednesday, House Bill (HB) No. 9726 or the proposed Expanded Philippine Science High School System Act was approved with 215 lawmakers voting in its favor, with none voting against it or abstaining.
Under the bill, all 16 existing PHSHs in the country, and other possible locations as mentioned in the proposal:
- First District of Aklan
- Daraga, Albay
- Ubay, Bohol
- Laoag City, Ilocos Norte
- Labangan, Zamboanga del Sur
- Third District, Cagayan
- General Santos City
- South Cotabato
- Malaybalay City, Bukidnon
The bill also aims to “ensure that students with high aptitude or gifted in science and mathematics are given equal scholarship opportunities to enroll in the PSHS System” while increasing the number of high school graduates “who will pursue undergraduate courses to conduct researches, and prepare scholars for careers in Science and Technology (S & T) and become leaders in the field of STEM.”
Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez said the bill is important as it would ensure that the country has an available world-class education system especially in the field of science and technology.
“Our Philippine Science High School System (PSHS) campuses offer secondary courses with special emphasis on STEM students with high aptitude or who are gifted in science and mathematics on a free scholarship basis,” Romualdez said.
“Through this bill, we aim to expand the number of PSHS campuses per region, making world-class education even more accessible to more deserving Filipino students across the country,” he added.
Furthermore, improving the PSHS would also provide the country with a steady supply of brilliant minds.
“The bill will not just improve the management of PSHS but also accommodate more government scholars, and increase the access to quality, free and globally competitive education for the country’s science, technology and innovation manpower,” he noted.
HB No. 9726 is a consolidation of several bills that seek to modernize the law which created the Philippine Science High School. It was approved by the committee on ways and means last May 2023.