BY BOY RYAN ZABAL
KALIBO, Aklan – The House of Representatives approved on second reading on Jan. 30 a measure strengthening the governance and management of the Philippine Science High School (PSHS).
House Bill No. 9726, or the Expanded Philippine Science High School Act, proposes to expand the operations of Philippine Science High School, an attached agency of the Department of Science and Technology, to different provinces in the country, including the province of Aklan.
The committees on science and technology, ways and means, and appropriations recommended in Committee Report No. 923 the approval in substitution of House Bills numbered 4462, 1300, 3216, 7335, 7444, and 8592 on Dec. 12, 2023.
“We seek to advance the knowledge, skills, and values of the next generation by accommodating more government scholars in the country. We encourage the establishment of more PSHS campuses, thereby increasing access to quality, free, and globally competitive education,” said Aklan 1st District Rep. Carlito Marquez, who authored the bill.
Since its founding in 1964, the institution has expanded its operations in Visayas and Mindanao to 15 more campuses. In 1997, then President Fidel V. Ramos signed Republic Act 8496 to unify all the existing campuses into a single system.
“With the expanded bill, PSHS will then be able to fulfill even more of their vision of upholding integrity, excellence, and service to the nation,” Marquez stressed./PN
