Presidential Decree No. 615 (PD 615) — Converting the Don Mariano Marcos Memorial College of Agriculture into Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State College, Providing a Charter for This Purpose, Expanding Its Curricular Offerings, Redirecting Its Objectives and Appropriating Funds Therefor.
WHEREAS, the Constitution 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 also known as the
Educational Development Decree of 1972 promulgated on September 29,
1972, it is the declared policy of the government to reorient the
education system towards economic growth and social development;
WHEREAS, the conversion of the Don Mariano Marcos Memorial
College of Agriculture into a State College with a charter of its own,
for the purpose of broadening its curricular offering and redirecting
its objectives would hasten the development of the region, particularly
the provinces of La Union, Pangasinan, Ilocos Sur and Benguet, and
thereby contribute to the accomplishment of 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 the following:
SECTION 1. The present Don Mariano Marcos Memorial College
of Agriculture, located in the Municipality of Bacnotan, Province of La
Union, established under Republic Act No. 5310 is hereby converted into
Don Mariano Marcos State College, hereinafter referred to as College.
SEC. 2. The College shall primarily provide professional and
advanced vocational and technical instruction and training in
agriculture, fisheries, forestry and industrial technologies. It shall
also promote research, advanced studies, and progressive, leadership in
its fields of specialization.
SEC. 3. In addition to its present secondary and collegiate
curricular offerings, the College shall offer under-graduate and
graduate courses in the fields of agriculture, fishery, forestry and
industrial technologies as the Board of Trustees may deem necessary to
carry out its objectives. It shall also offer opportunity or short-term
technical or vocational courses within its areas of specialization to
meet the needs of the region.
SEC. 4. No student shall be denied admission to the College
by reason of sex, ethnic consideration, or religious belief or
affiliation.
SEC. 5. The College shall be headed by a President to be
appointed by the President of the Philippines. His salary shall be fixed
by the Board of Trustees and shall be comparable to that being received
by the President of similar educational institutions of like enrolment
and standing.
The powers 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 State College.
SEC. 6. The governing body of the College shall be the
Board of Trustees, to be composed of the Secretary of Education and
Culture as Chairman, the Regional Director of the National Economic and
Development Authority, the President of the College and four (4) other
distinguished citizens of Region No. 1, who shall be appointed by the
President of the Philippines, as members. Of the four appointed members
one shall be an authority in agriculture, one in trades and technology,
one in general education and one in commerce and industry; Provided,
That at least one of the four appointed members shall be an alumnus of
the State College. Of the four members first appointed by the President,
one shall serve for one year; one to serve for two years; one to serve
for three years; and one to serve four years. Thereafter, appointed to
succeed such members shall hold office for a term of four years and
until successors shall have been appointed and qualified-. In cases of a
permanent vacancy, the position shall be filled by appointment by the
President of the Philippines. Such an 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 function of the
Chairman of the said Board. The Chairman may assign qualified officials
to represent him with full authority in the Board.
SEC. 7.
A quorum of the Board of Trustees shall consist of a majority of all
the members holding office at the time a meeting is called. All
processes against the Board of Trustees shall be served on the President
or Secretary thereof.
SEC. 8. The members of the Board of Trustees shall serve
without compensation but shall be entitled to an allowance of One
Hundred Pesos per meeting actually attended but not exceeding Three
Hundred Pesos a month, and to reimbursement for actual and necessary
expenses incurred in attendance of meetings and other official business
authorized by resolution of the Board.
SEC. 9. The Board of Trustees shall have the following
powers and duties, in addition to its general powers of administration,
and all the powers of the governing board of a corporation as provided
in Section 13 of Act No. 1459 as amended, otherwise known as the
Corporation Law:
To receive and appropriate for the purpose 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 honorary degrees upon persons in
recognition of learning, statesmanship or eminence in any of the fields
of specialization of the College, or in recognition of public service: Provided,
That such degrees shall not be conferred in consideration of or to
reciprocate some personal favor;
To authorize the President of the College to award
proficiency certificates or diplomas to students who have completed
non-degree courses;
To appoint, on recommendation of the President of the
College, a vice-president, deans, directors, secretary of the
College, registrar, heads of departments, professors, instructors,
lecturers, and other officials and employees of the College; to fix
their compensations, hours of service, and such other duties under
conditions as it may deem proper, to grant to them, in its discretion,
leaves of absence under such regulations as it may promulgate, any
provisions of existing laws to the contrary notwithstanding; to remove
them for cause after an investigation and hearing; to establish
professorial chairs in the College, and to provide for the maintenance
and or endowment of such chairs as may be necessary;
To approve the curricula rules and discipline drawn by the
College Council as hereinafter provided;
To fix tuition fees, matriculation fees, graduation fees,
laboratory fees, and such special fees as will constitute a special
trust fund for the College;
To provide fellowship for qualified faculty members and
scholarships to deserving students,
To prescribe rules for its own government and to enact for the
government of the College such rules and regulations, not contrary to
law, as may be necessary to carry out the purpose and functions of the
College;
To receive in trust legacies, gifts, and donations of real and
personal property of all kinds, to administer the same for the benefit
of the College, or of the departments thereof, or for aid to any student
or students, 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. All such donations shall be exempt from
all taxes and to be considered as deductible items from the income tax
of the donors; and to import, duty free, commodities for educational
purposes as an exception to existing laws; and
To authorize the College to undertake construction arid/or
repair of its buildings and other farms structures, machinery and
equipment, land improvement and other facilities, any provision of law
or executive order to the contrary notwithstanding; Provided,
That the funds for the purpose shall come from its appropriations.
SEC. 10. On or before the fifteenth day of the second month
after the opening of regular classes each year, the Board of Trustees
shall submit to the President of the Philippines a detailed report,
setting forth the progress, conditions and needs of the College.
SEC. 11. There shall be a College Council consisting of
the President of the College and all members of the faculty with the
rank of professor. 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 by 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 its duly authorized committee,
the Council shall have disciplinary power over the students within the
limits prescribed by the rules of discipline.
SEC. 12. The body of instructors and professors of the
College shall constitute the faculty of the Don Mariano Marcos Memorial
State College. The Faculty shall be exempt from civil service
examinations or regulations as prerequisite to appointment.
SEC. 13. No members of the faculty of the College shall
attempt directly or indirectly, under penalty of dismissal by the Board
of Trustees, to influence students or any person in the College towards
any ideology, political or otherwise, which preaches the overthrow of
the government through violence or subversion.
SEC. 14. There shall be a Secretary of the College who
shall be appointed by the Board of Trustees upon the recommendation of
the President of the College. He shall also be the Secretary of the
Board of Trustees and shall keep such records of the College as may be
determined by the Board of Trustees.
SEC. 15. The Treasurer of the Philippines shall be
ex-officio treasurer of the College and all accounts and expenses
therefor shall be audited by the Commission on Audit or its duly
authorized representative.
SEC. 16. Heads of the Bureaus of 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 judgement of the head of the bureau or office such apparatus,
equipment, supplies or services can be spared without serious detriment
to the pubic service. Employees so detailed shall perform such duty as
may be required under their detail and the time so employed shall be
counted part of their regular official service.
SEC. 17. All assets, fixed and movable, records and all
personnel of the Don Mariano Marcos Memorial College of Agriculture are
transferred to the College. All parcels of land belonging to the
government that are occupied by the Don Mariano Marcos Memorial College
of Agriculture are hereby declared to be the property of the College and
shall be titled under that name.
SEC. 18. In addition to the current appropriations of the
Don Mariano Marcos Memorial College of Agriculture, the sum of five
million pesos is hereby appropriated out of any funds in the National
Treasury not otherwise appropriate for the establishment, operation and
maintenance of the Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State College.
Thereafter, funds for the maintenance and operation of the College shall
be included in the annual General Appropriations decree.
SEC. 19. The Secretary of Education and Culture is hereby
directed to take such steps as are necessary for the immediate
implementation of this Decree.
SEC. 20. All laws, decrees, executive orders or
regulations contrary to or inconsistent herewith are hereby repealed or
amended accordingly.
SEC. 21. This Decree shall take effect immediately.
Done in the City of Manila, this 19th day of December, 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
Source: Supreme Court E-Library, Republic of the Philippines. Philippine laws are public documents (works of the government).
