CONVERTING THE VISAYAS AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE INTO THE VISAYAS STATE COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE, EXPANDING FOR THIS PURPOSE ITS CURRICULAR PROGRAMS IN AGRICULTURE AND TECHNOLOGY.

• Number: Presidential Decree No. 470
• Sections: 21

Preamble

WHEREAS, The Constitution of the Philippines directs the

State to establish and maintain a complete, adequate and integrated

system of education relevant to the goals of national development, and

further prescribes that all educational institutions shall aim to

develop scientific, technological and vocational efficiency;

WHEREAS, under Presidential Decree No. 6-A promulgated on

September 29, 1972, it has been declared a policy to reorient the

educational system toward an accelerated national economic growth; and

WHEREAS, the conversion of the Visayas Agricultural College

into a State Agricultural College, broadening for this purpose its

curricular programs, would serve to achieve the above national goals;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the

Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the

Constitution, do hereby order and decree to be part of the laws of the

land the following:

Section 1

SECTION 1. The present Visayas Agricultural College located

in the Municipality of Baybay, Leyte, is hereby converted into the

VISAYAS STATE COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE, hereinafter referred in this

Decree as the College.

Section 2

SEC. 2. The College shall primarily provide higher

vocational, professional, and technical instruction and training in

agricultural and industrial fields with special emphasis given to the

coconut industry. It shall also promote research, advance studies, and

progressive leadership in the fields of agriculture including

agricultural education and home technology, with special emphasis given

to coconut industry, fishery, forestry and industrial education.

Section 3

SEC. 3. In addition to its present secondary agricultural

course and undergraduate courses leading to the degrees of Bachelor of

Science in Agricultural Education, Bachelor of Science in Agricultural

Homemaking and Bachelor of Science in Agriculture, the College shall

offer undergraduate courses leading to the degrees of Bachelor of

Science in Agricultural Engineering, and Bachelor of Science in

Forestry; post graduate courses leading to the degrees of Master of

Science in Agriculture and Master of Science in Agricultural Education;

courses in fresh-water fish culture and such other degree courses and

special courses as the Board of Trustees may deem necessary.

Section 4

SEC. 4. No student shall be denied admission to the College

by reason of sex, ethnic consideration, or religious belief or

affiliation.

Section 5

SEC. 5. The head of the college shall be known as the

President of the Visayas State College of Agriculture. He shall be

appointed by the President of the Philippines.

The power and duties of the president of the college in addition

to those specifically provided for in this Decree, shall be those

usually pertaining to the office of the president of a college.

Section 6

SEC. 6. The governing body of the college shall be the

Board of Trustees of the Visayas State College of Agriculture. It shall

be composed of the Secretary of Education and Culture who shall be the

chairman, the Director of the Bureau of Agricultural Economics, the Dean

of the University of the Philippines College of Agriculture in Los

Baños, the President of the College, and four prominent residents of

Leyte who are distinguished leaders in agricultural education or in

agricultural activities.

Such residents shall be appointed by the President of the

Philippines. Of the first group appointed, the President shall designate

one to serve for one year; one to serve for two years; one to serve for

three years; and one 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 a permanent vacancy, the position shall be filled

by appointment by the President of the Philippines. Such appointee shall

hold office for the unexpired term only.

When the Secretary of

Education and Culture is unable to perform his duties as Chairman of the

Board due to illness, absence or other cause, or in case of vacancy in

the office, the Undersecretary of Education and Culture shall

temporarily perform the functions of the Chairman of the said Board.

When both the Secretary and the Undersecretary of Education and Culture

are unable to exercise the powers of the Chairman of the Board of

Trustees, the members of the Board shall elect for among themselves a

temporary chairman who shall act as Chairman thereof.

Section 7

SEC. 7. The members of the Board of Trustees shall serve

without compensation but they shall be reimbursed for actual and

necessary expenses incurred either in attendance upon meetings of the

Board or upon other official business authorized by resolution thereof.

Section 8

SEC. 8. In addition to its general powers of

administration, the Board of Trustees shall have the following powers

and duties:

To receive and appropriate for the purposes specified by law

such sums as may be provided for the support of the college.

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;

Subject to Civil Service Law, rules and regulations, to

appoint, upon recommendation of the President of the College, the Deans

of the different schools of the College, the Registrar, the heads of

departments, professors, instructors, lecturers and other employees

of the College; to fix, in accordance with WAPCO rates, their

compensation; to prescribe hours of service, duties and the conditions

of works as it may deem proper; to grant to them in its

discretion, leave of absence under such regulations as it may

promulgate, any provisions of law to the contrary notwithstanding,

and to remove them for cause upon investigation and hearing-

pursuant to Civil Service Law governing disciplinary action;

To approve the curricula and rules of discipline

drawn up by the College Council as hereinafter provided;

To fix the tuition fees required of students as well as

matriculation fees, graduation fees and fees for laboratory trust

fund of the College, and remit the same to the office or authority

concerned;

To provide fellowships and scholarship for deserving faculty

members and students;

To prescribe rules for its own government and for this

purpose, to enact such regulations not contrary to law, as may

be necessary;

To receive in trust legacies, gifts and donations of 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 donor,

and in default thereof, in such manner as the Board of Trustees may in

its discretion determine;

To provide vocational training to adult citizens and

out-of-school youths; and

To name after prominent Filipinos or heroes any building,

annex, ground, or branch of the College.

Section 9

SEC. 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

SEC. 10. On or before the fifteenth day of June of

each year, the Board of Trustees shall submit to the President of the

Philippines a detailed report, setting forth the progress, condition,

and needs of the College.

Section 11

SEC. 11. There shall be a College Council consisting

of the President of the College and all members of the faculty of the

College. 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 of 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

disciplinary power over the students within the limits prescribed by the

rules of discipline.

Section 12

SEC. 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 attendants at the College towards any ideology,

political or otherwise, which preaches the overthrow of the government

through violence or subversion.

Section 13

SEC. 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. He shall be the Secretary of the Board and

also of the College, and shall keep such of the records of the College

as may be determined by the Board of Trustees.

Section 14

SEC. 14. The President of the College may, upon prior

consultation with the superintendent of schools of the province,

designate any secondary school in the division concerned as training or

laboratory school of the College.

Section 15

SEC. 15. 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 auditing rules and regulations.

Section 16

SEC. 16. 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 17

SEC. 17. The requirements provided in this Decree as may

prove adverse to the present faculty and employees of the Visayas

Agricultural College who may be absorbed by the Visayas State College of

Agriculture shall not apply to them. But future appointees to the said

College shall be subject to all the requirements provided in this

Decree.

Section 18

SEC. 18. All parcels of land, buildings, equipment and

facilities owned by the Visayas Agricultural College, as well as all

obligations and appropriations thereof, shall be transferred to the

Visayas State College of Agriculture.

Section 19

SEC. 19. In addition to the amount already appropriated

for the Visayas Agricultural College, there is hereby appropriated, from

the funds of the National Treasury not otherwise appropriated, the sum

of two million pesos for purposes of carrying out immediately the

provisions of this Decree. Hereafter, such sums as may be necessary to

carry out the provisions of this Decree shall be included annually in

the General Appropriations Decree.

Section 20

SEC. 20. This Decree shall take effect immediately.

Done in the City of Manila, this 24th day of May, in the year

of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and seventy-four.

(Sgd.)

FERDINAND E. MARCOS

President of the Philippines

By the President:

(Sgd.)

ALEJANDRO MELCHOR

Executive Secretary