By CHRIS V. PANGANIBAN
SAN FRANCISCO, Agusan del Sur — A bill seeking to convert the Agusan del Sur School of Arts and Trades (ASSAT) in Prosperidad town into a polytechnic institution has been approved in the final third reading at the House of Representatives.
Principally authored by Rep. Alfel Bascug and Rep. Adolph Edward Plaza of two districts in Agusan del Sur, House Bill No. 8583, or the proposed Agusan del Sur Polytechnic Institute Act, seeks to transform Agusan del Sur School of Arts and Trades into the Agusan del Sur Polytechnic Institute (ADSPI), which will remain under the supervision and administration of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).
The measure has been supported by 34 other congressmen and congresswomen.
The measure was filed as a substitute bill for House Bill No. 4445 and was submitted through Committee Report No. 212 by the House Committees on Higher and Technical Education and Appropriations on March 16, 2026.
Under the bill, the proposed institute will offer TESDA-registered technical-vocational education and training programs, certificate and diploma courses, short-term postsecondary programs, and modular training courses in various technical-vocational specializations.
The bill also aims to upgrade the school’s curricular standards and align its programs with industry needs to help students gain skills for employment, livelihood, and entrepreneurship.
Priority admission and access to scholarships, grants-in-aid, and other student financial assistance will be given to economically disadvantaged students, out-of-school youth, persons with disabilities, and indigenous peoples from Prosperidad and nearby areas.
The proposed ADSPI may also serve as a TESDA-accredited assessment center, subject to existing accreditation requirements under the Philippine TVET Competency Assessment and Certification System.
Funding for the conversion and operation of the institute will be charged against available appropriations and later included in the annual General Appropriations Act. TESDA and concerned government agencies will be tasked to issue the implementing rules and regulations once the measure is enacted.
###
