June 10th, 2025
House Ways and Means Chair Joey Sarte Salceda, principal author and sponsor of House Bill No. 9726 or the Expanded Philippine Science High School System Act, welcomed the ratification of the Bicameral Conference Committee Report on the measure.
The bill mandates the creation of at least two Philippine Science High School (PSHS) campuses per region, subject to the standards of the PSHS Board. Salceda said this will help address longstanding access issues, especially for qualified students who live far from the existing campuses.
“PSHS will remain highly competitive. This simply ensures that more students have a real chance to apply. Access and distance should not be a barrier,” Salceda said.
He cited Albay as an example, saying that the province is set to have its own PSHS campus within the next three years.
“The existing Bicol campus is in Goa, Camarines Sur. That is not accessible to many students in Albay, Sorsogon, or Masbate. With this law, we can now move forward with a second campus that better serves the region,” he added.
The bill also allows PSHS campuses to receive support from the Adopt-a-School Program and facilitates partnerships with DepEd’s science high schools and special science programs.
“This law helps expand the reach of our most advanced public high school system. We are investing in the country’s future scientists and innovators by making quality STEM education more accessible,” Salceda said.