A BILL that aims to require higher education institutions (HEIs) to provide, for free, documents that fresh graduates would need to apply for a job has been filed in the House of Representatives by Majority Leader and Ilocos Norte 1st District Rep. Ferdinand Alexander Marcos.
House Bill 8701, or the proposed Academic and Labor Pathways Assistance got Students Act, filed last March 18, entitles students, within 12 months from graduation, at least five copies of their transcript of records (ToR) “or, where the transcript of records is not yet available,” five copies of a certificate of graduation and five certified true copies (CTCs) of their diploma.
They are entitled to five more copies of their ToR and five CTCs of their diploma, “likewise free of charge.” The bill mandates HEIs to have a digital academic records system “to facilitate the efficient submission and processing of requests, storage, issuance and verification of academic records, including transcript of records, certificates of graduation, certified true copies of diplomas and other academic certifications.” “By making essential academic records more accessible and improving the efficiency of records processing systems in higher education institutions, this measure helps ensure that Filipino graduates are better equipped to pursue employment opportunities and contribute meaningfully to the nation’s workforce,” Marcos said in the bill’s explanatory note.
The Commission on Higher Education will assume oversight in implementing the measure.