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ORDINANCE NO. 2025-069

AN ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING THE BALIK ESKWELA PROGRAM FOR TERTIARY EDUCATION STUDENTS OF NAGA CITY, PROVIDING A BRIDGE LOAN FACILITY AND ENROLMENT RE-ENTRY GRANT, AMONG OTHERS, AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR:-

Authored by: Hon. Francisco M. Mendoza

Explanatory Note

Naga City has long cultivated its identity as the premier center for education in the Bicol region. This distinction reflects our commitment to nurture the potential of every Nagaueno. Ordinance No. 2015-012 or the Education Code of Naga City—which subsumes the Naga City Tertiary Scholarship Program, our Sanggawadan and QUEEN programs, our Educare and Alternative Learning System Programs—stands as a testament to this commitment. This was strengthened by Ordinance No. 2022-109 otherwise known as the Educational Assistance Ordinance of Naga City intended to protect and promote the right of all citizens to quality education at all levels and to make such education accessible to all. And even earlier on, by Ordinance No. 2012-035 or the Naga City Youth Code which explicitly recognized the “right to quality and responsive education of our youth.”

However, a critical subset of students has been overlooked by these and similar city ordinances on education: students from poor families who, while having already gained entry to tertiary education, are blocked from enrolling the following semester because of past due balances in their school fees. These are not individuals who lack the desire and dedication to finish their education but are victims of circumstance, forced by their parents to stop their study as family survival takes precedence over a son’s or daughter’s tuition and school fees.

There is, therefore, a need for a package of interventions to “rescue” these indigent students and put them back on course, so to speak. Once enrolled, they can be assisted in applying for scholarship, or in migrating to government universities, colleges or training centers where school fees are mainly free. In case of inability to be admitted in any of these options, they can be extended further educational assistance under Ordinance No. 2022-109 to lighten the financial burden on their family.

This proposed ordinance crafts a combination of these “rescue” interventions into a cohesive Balik Eskwela program that will give a son or daughter of a poor family a shot out of poverty. Support for this Ordinance is therefore earnestly requested from this august body.

BE IT ORDAINED by the Sangguniang Panlungsod of the City of Naga, in session assembled, that:

SECTION 1. Short Title. This Ordinance shall be known and cited as the Balik Eskwela Program.

SECTION 2. Nature and Purpose. This ordinance establishes a loan facility and financial and institutional assistance to enable students from indigent or low-income families who were forced to stop their tertiary schooling due to unpaid tuition and other school fees to re-enroll and complete their course. Once back in the educational system, they shall be assisted in migrating to available scholarship programs, or to get into government schools, colleges and training centers to enjoy free tertiary education. The Balik Eskwela Program has four components: (a) Bridge Loan Facility, (b) Enrolment Re-entry Grant, (c) Semestral Financial Assistance, and (d) Assistance in Migrating to a Regular Scholarship Program or to a State or Local University College to a government technical/vocational training center.

SECTION 3. Definition of Terms. For purposes of this Ordinance, the following terms are defined as follows:

a. Program – Refers to the Balik Eskwela Program established herein.
b. Beneficiary – A student from an indigent or low-income family who stopped schooling in a tertiary institution due to unpaid school fees and who applied and qualified for this Program.
c. Tertiary Education – Refers to the stage of education after Grade 12 ranging from non-degree diplomas, technical-vocational education and training (TVET), and bachelor’s degree programs.
d. Unpaid School Fees – Legitimate and verified financial obligations of a student from preceding semesters which prevent the student from re-enrolling.
e. SUCs – State Universities and Colleges
f. LUCs – Local Universities and Colleges
g. Indigent or Low-Income Family – A family whose circumstances meet at least two (2) of the criteria specified in Table 1 below.

Table 1. Indigent or Low-Income Family for the Maogmang Kinabukasan Program

Indicator	Criteria for Indigency	Required Proof
1. Income-Based	Total annual gross family income does not exceed the latest official Poverty Threshold in the Bicol Region as determined by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). If the available data is not the current year, the poverty threshold shall be adjusted for inflation.	Latest Income Tax Return (ITR) of parents/guardian or Certificate of Tax Exemption from BIR or a Social Case Study Report from the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) to include pictures of the dwelling place and surroundings.
2. Social Welfare Targeting	The family is listed in the latest Listahanan of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) as poor or near poor.	Certification from the DSWD that the applicant’s family is included in the Listahanan as poor or near poor.
3. Community-Based Assessment	The family has no visible source of adequate and regular income and is certified as “indigent” by the barangay of residence, supported by a validation from the CSWDO.	Barangay Certificate of Indigency and a Social Case Study Report from the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) to include pictures of the dwelling place and its surroundings.
4. Place of residence	Family resides in an urban poor settlement established by the city government, or is living in a depressed community of informal settlers.	Certification from the Housing and Settlements Development Office and the Naga City Urban Poor Federation. Or CSWDO case study with picture if living outside the urban poor sites established by the city government.

SECTION 4. Balik Eskwela Program Components. Qualified beneficiaries shall be entitled to the following benefits subject to their corresponding terms and conditions:

a. Bridge Loan Facility (BLF) – Equivalent to the unpaid school fees as certified by the school last enrolled but not to exceed Forty Thousand Pesos (P40,000.00), the check shall be payable directly to the school. The loan shall not earn interest from its availment until two years after graduation or after cessation of schooling. After the two-year grace period, the loan will be imposed a non-compounding interest rate of three percent (3%) per annum and should be repaid within a period of two years. This does not prevent the beneficiary however from paying earlier than the period indicated herein, or faster thru larger amortization amounts.
b. Enrolment Re-entry Grant – Financial assistance (Grant-in-Aid) of not more than Ten Thousand Pesos (P10,000.00) to fund the initial enrollment fees of the current semester. The exact amount shall be determined by the Program Management Committee (PMC) based on the actual assessment of enrolment fees for the semester. The check payment shall be payable directly to the school.
c. Semestral Financial Assistance – After the initial semester of enrolment, the beneficiary shall automatically be qualified to receive the educational assistance granted under Section 4 of Ordinance No. 2022-109 otherwise known as the “Educational Assistance of Naga City Ordinance” subject to the limitations provided under Section 5 therein.
d. Migration to Regular Scholarship Programs or to SUCs/LUCs in Naga City – Assistance from ESSO in applying for scholarship programs offered by public and private institutions and in applying for admission in state or local universities and colleges or TESDA training centers. Once migrated, the Semestral Financial Assistance shall be terminated unless still deemed necessary on a case-to-case basis by the Program Management Committee created herein.

SECTION 5. Program Management Committee. A Program Management Committee (PMC) is herein created to manage and administer the Program, qualify and rank applicants, and determine the final beneficiaries. It shall be composed of the following:

• Chairperson: City Mayor or duly authorized representative.
• Vice-Chairperson: SK Federation President
• Members:
  • Head, ESSO
  • City Social Welfare and Development Officer
  • City Treasurer
  • City Accountant
  • Head, Metro PESO
  • Head, Persons with Disability Office
  • Head, Solo Parent Office
  • Chairperson, Naga City Urban Poor Federation
  • Chairperson, Naga City People’s Council
  • City Youth Mayor
  • A representative from the Commission on Higher Education (CHED)
  • A representative from Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA)

The ESSO shall serve as the PMC Secretariat. It shall be responsible for the public dissemination of the Program, acceptance of applications, assisting applicants complete documentary requirements particularly those issued by government offices, maintenance of beneficiary records, monitoring of academic progress, post-graduation and loan payment tracking.

SECTION 6. Eligibility Criteria and Documentary Requirements. An applicant must meet all of the following criteria and submit the corresponding documentary requirements:

Eligibility Criteria	Documentary Requirements
a. Intention to join this Program.	Duly accomplished Balik Eskwela Application Form (downloadable from the Naga City website, or can be obtained for free from ESSO). Note: Form must have civil status query for purposes of determining if applicant is married or not, and contact details for ease of communication.
b. Must belong to an indigent or low-income family as defined under Table 1 of Section 3.g.	Documentary requirements of at least two (2) indicators listed in Table 1.
c. Filipino citizen and a bona fide resident of Naga City for at least three (3) years prior to application to this Program.	Barangay Certificate of Residency or Comelec Registration.
d. Previously enrolled in a CHED or TESDA accredited school but was unable to enroll for at least two (2) semesters due to unpaid school fees. The number of missed semesters shall be a maximum of five (5) semesters but such number may be adjusted by the PMC as it may deem necessary.	Official Statement of Account from the HEI or training institution detailing the unpaid school fees.
e. Must be single and not over 25 years of age at the time of application.	Birth Certificate from the Local Civil Registrar. (Civil status will be determined in the Application Form)
f. Of good moral character and has not been the subject of any disciplinary action.	Certification of good moral character from the school last attended or form the Punong Barangay of residence.
g. No failing grade in any subject for the last enrolled semester.	Certified True Copy of grades of the last semester attended.

SECTION 7. Application and evaluation timeline. The Program shall be governed by the following schedule:

Timeline	Activity	Responsible Office/Body
June 1 to October 31	Application Period: Acceptance of applications. Applicants with deficient documentary requirements shall be assisted by ESSO to have them completed.	ESSO
November	Evaluation Period: Evaluation, scoring and ranking of applications.	PMC
December	Posting Official Results: Posting of successful applicants (now to be called as “beneficiaries”) in the city government’s social media accounts and official website.	PMC and ESSO
January-February	Signing of Balik Eskwela Agreement: ESSO shall prepare the Balik Eskwela Agreement and have it signed by the beneficiary and the City Mayor and notarized. Payment: Processing of the Bridge Loan Facility (BLF) of the beneficiaries for direct payment to their schools.	CLO for template ESSO, CBO, Accounting Office CTO
March	Authority to Enroll: Once the check from the BLE is issued to a particular school, an Authority to Enroll shall forthwith be issued to the concerned beneficiary.	ESSO
Start of Semester	Enrolment: Beneficiaries shall enroll themselves as per their school calendar. Once assessment is available, they shall provide ESSO a copy for processing of their Enrolment Re-Entry Grant.	Beneficiary
	Processing of Enrolment Re-Entry Grant: Upon receipt of the assessment, ESSO shall immediately process the Re-Entry Grant with the corresponding check payable to the school. To enable the student to enroll, ESSO may also provide a Commitment to Settle Account up to the amount approved by the PMC.	ESSO
	Enrolment Payment: ESSO shall coordinate with the school for the claiming of their check representing the beneficiaries’ Enrolment Re-Entry Grants	ESSO
End of Semester	Proof of Completion of Semester: At the end of the semester, the beneficiary shall furnish ESSO with a copy of the final grades received.	Beneficiary

During the application period, applicants with deficient documentary requirements shall be assisted by ESSO in the completion of the same such as the case study from the CSWDO. During the evaluation period, the PMC is not precluded from further verifying and requesting from the applicant any additional documents to substantiate the academic and economic status of the applicant.

SECTION 8. Beneficiary limitations. Only one member of a family may become a beneficiary of this Balik Eskwela Program. A beneficiary can only avail of the Program once.

SECTION 9. Prioritization. Given the city’s budgetary limitation, applicants will be ranked by the PMC based on their economic status, academic performance for the last semester attended, and length of being out of school using the Prioritization Criteria below. Applicants shall be accommodated by the order of their ranking until the appropriation and Balik Eskwela Trust Fund balance are availed of. If more than one family member makes it to the list of beneficiaries, only the highest ranked shall be admitted. The slots vacated shall be taken by the next highest ranked applicant and so on until the freed funds are fully availed of. A majority of the PMC, with at least the Chairperson or Vice Chairperson present, shall be sufficient to proceed with the scoring and ranking process.

Table 2. Prioritization Criteria

Criteria	Weight	Scoring Guide
Economic situation	40%	The poorer the household, the higher the score, including indigent children with disabilities and children of solo parents.
Number of semesters out of school	40%	The higher the number of semesters out of school, the higher the score, but not to exceed four (4) semesters, or such maximum number as may later on be set by the PMC.
Academic performance	20%	The higher the grade average, the higher the score. Only the grades from the last semester attended shall be considered.
TOTAL	100%

SECTION 10. Posting of the names of the beneficiaries. The list of beneficiaries shall be posted by ESSO on the city’s website and social media accounts in coordination with the offices in charge of the said online platforms. They shall also be informed thru the contact details indicated in their application form.

SECTION 11. Balik Eskwela Agreement. A Balik Eskwela Agreement containing the obligations of the beneficiary and that of the city government as contained in this Ordinance shall be crafted by the City Legal Office. ESSO shall have the beneficiary sign the document and ensure that a duly signed and notarized Balik Eskwela Agreement is attached to the disbursement voucher. ESSO shall arrange for any government office to notarize the documents for free.

SECTION 12. Authorization for the City Mayor. Thru this Ordinance, the City Mayor is herein authorized by the Sangguniang Panlungsod to sign all Balik Eskwela Agreements without need of individually seeking authorization for each one nor shall ratification be required.

SECTION 13. Processing of BLF. ESSO shall immediately prepare the vouchers for the BLF of each successful beneficiary and ensure their continuous processing until issuance of the checks.

SECTION 14. Authority to Enroll. ESSO shall prepare an Authority to Enroll for a beneficiary as soon as his/her BLF check is ready for issuance by CTO. ESSO shall promptly inform the schools to claim their checks from CTO and the beneficiaries to claim their Authority to Enroll from ESSO. The lumping together of the Authority to Enroll with the intention to release them in bulk in a public ceremony is herein barred.

SECTION 15. Effect of Similar Assistance. Receipt of educational assistance from the Department of Social Welfare and Development or from any other source other than the city government shall not dilute the benefits granted herein. However, receipt from the City Social Welfare and Development Office, including those facilitated by city government officials, of financial assistance for the same semester and for the same beneficiary shall be deducted from the benefits for such beneficiary granted under this Program.

SECTION 16. Enrollment. Upon receipt of the Authority to Enroll, the beneficiary shall process his/her enrolment at the earliest possible time and provide a copy of his/her assessment form to ESSO to support the processing of the Enrolment Re-Entry Grant. Once the check for the Enrollment Re-Entry Grant is released to the school by CTO, ESSO shall provide the beneficiary a copy of the proof of payment of the Grant for enrolment purposes.

SECTION 17. Transfer and shifting. The beneficiary may transfer to a government school or shift to another course provided he or she enrolls on the current semester. No semester shall be skipped from the time the BLF is granted except as provided under Section xx.

SECTION 18. Program Conditions. A beneficiary must ensure compliance with the following conditions:

a. Take the full load of academic subjects each semester as required by their program of study.
b. No failing grade
c. Complete the program/course within the prescribed duration.
d. Complete their NSTP (National Service Training Program) and PE (Physical Education) subjects within the duration of their course.
e. Render community service in a public school nearest their residence during Brigada Eskwela.

SECTION 19. Enrolment in Summer Classes. Enrolling in summer classes is allowed but the beneficiary must bear the actual tuition and miscellaneous expenses.

SECTION 20. Enrollment Deferment. Enrollment deferment by a beneficiary is permitted for a maximum of one school year under meritorious circumstances, such as health issues, housing dislocation, or force majeure events.

SECTION 21. Migration to Regular Scholarship Programs. A beneficiary of this Program shall be assisted by ESSO in applying for the Naga City Tertiary Scholarship Program and such other scholarship opportunities from other government agencies and private institutions. If successfully admitted as scholar, the beneficiary shall be dropped from this Program without extinguishing his or her obligations to repay the loan.

SECTION 22. Migration to Government Educational Institutions. A beneficiary of this Program shall be assisted by ESSO in applying for admission in a state or local university or college or in a government technical vocational schools to be able to enjoy free tertiary education. Such schools need not necessarily be located in Naga City. If successfully admitted, the beneficiary shall be dropped from this Program without extinguishing his or her obligations to repay the loan.

SECTION 23. Failure to Migrate to a Scholarship Program or to a Government School. If a beneficiary fails to qualify for scholarship or is not admitted to a government school, said beneficiary shall continue to receive the financial grant under Section 4 of Ordinance No. 2022-109 otherwise known as the “Educational Assistance of Naga City Ordinance” subject to the limitations provided under Section 5 therein. Said amount may be increased by the PMC but the total amount shall not exceed P10,000.00 and the difference shall be charged against the appropriation or Trust Fund of this Program. No increase shall be made one year prior to the start of an election period for local officials.

SECTION 24. Public Information and Dissemination. The City Events, Protocol and Public Information Office (CEPPIO) shall assist ESSO in the dissemination of information related to the qualification and documentary requirements, the schedule of application and evaluation, and other related information of this Program in the city government’s social media accounts and online portals. It shall also prepare infographics for printing and posting by ESSO in barangay halls, city hall, bus terminal and educational institutions.

SECTION 25. Records Management. Beneficiary records shall be managed as follows:

a. ESSO shall maintain an individual folder for each beneficiary containing a complete record from application to benefit availment to graduation and loan payments. In addition, it shall maintain an electronic database of the same records for easy tracking and retrieval. A copy of the database shall be kept updated in the city’s server in coordination with the Information and Technology Office. A beneficiary’s record shall be maintained for a period of three years from full payment for auditing purposes.
b. On or before the last working day of May of every year, ESSO shall provide the City Treasurer’s Office (CTO) a report of all new beneficiaries with their address and contact details, the status of their schooling, their expected date of graduation, the period of the loan grace period, and the date when the first payment is due. From this report, the CTO shall establish and manage an efficient beneficiary notification and collection system updated annually.
c. Payments by beneficiaries shall be made at CTO. The beneficiary shall provide a photocopy of the Official Receipt to ESSO and safely keep the original until full payment.
d. On or before the last working day of January of every year, CTO shall furnish ESSO a report of payments and any past due obligation of all beneficiaries. Within one month from receipt, ESSO shall subsequently update its beneficiary folders, digital database and those saved in the city server. ESSO shall also formally inform the beneficiary of his/her delinquencies and a request to settle the same under pain of penalty.

SECTION 26. Discharge from obligation. Upon full payment, ESSO shall issue a Full Payment Certificate to the beneficiary. A photocopy of all the Official Receipts and a copy of the Full Payment Certificate duly received by the beneficiary shall be kept in the beneficiary folder. Such folder shall be archived for a period of three years after which it shall be disposed properly.

SECTION 27. Post-graduation assistance. The Metro Naga Public Employment Service Office (Metro PESO) shall assist graduates of this Program find employment in the private sector thru its job matching and placement assistance services. Graduates of the Program shall also be considered for hiring by the city government if they possess the skills and qualifications needed by a department or office. If hired, part of the beneficiary’s compensation as determined by the PMC shall pay for his/her loan.

SECTION 28. Extinguishment of debt. The beneficiary’s death or total permanent disability or other analogous circumstance that renders the beneficiary unable to complete tertiary education or to be gainfully employed after graduation shall extinguish the beneficiary’s obligations under this Program. Such receivables shall be written-off from the books of the city government by the City Accounting Office subject to submission of documents required by the said office.

SECTION 29. Funding and Appropriations. The amount of Five Million Pesos (P5,000,000.00) shall be appropriated under a Special Purpose Appropriation of ESSO to serve as the initial seed fund for the Program. This shall be distinct and separate from the regular scholarship fund of the city government. Thereafter, such amount as may be necessary shall be appropriated in the Annual Budget for this Program. No reversion from this appropriation shall be made except to transfer any balance at the end of the year to the Trust Fund herein created.

SECTION 30. Support from the Private Sector. ESSO shall endeavor to encourage the private sector, civic groups, private individuals, successful scholars of the city government, and business entities with their corporate social responsibility programs, to help financially distressed students realize their dreams by way of donating to the Trust Fund. Donors may set conditions for their donated fund provided they are not in conflict with this Ordinance. A separate subsidiary ledger under the Trust Fund herein created shall be maintained for each donor.

SECTION 31. Balik Eskwela Trust Fund. There is hereby created a special Trust Fund, to be known as the Balik Eskwela Trust Fund. All year-end balance from the appropriation for this Program, all loan repayments from beneficiaries, as well as any donation from the private sector intended for this Program, shall accrue to this Trust Fund. It shall be used exclusively to augment the available funding for the Bridge Financing Loan and the Semestral Financial Assistance of beneficiaries. A separate subsidiary ledger shall be maintained for each source of fund.

SECTION 32. Formal Agreements with Tertiary Schools. To facilitate seamless transaction between the beneficiary and the school, a Memorandum of Agreement shall be executed between the city government and each participating tertiary institutions defining their respective role and obligations under this Program.

SECTION 33. Implementing Guidelines. The City Mayor, through the ESSO and in consultation with the PMC, shall formulate and issue such implementing guidelines as may be necessary for the effective administration of this Program.

SECTION 34. Penal Clause. Any person who willfully and knowingly provides false information or falsified documents to avail of the benefits of this Program, or any official who colludes in such an act, shall be subject to appropriate administrative and legal sanctions as provided under existing laws and shall be required to reimburse the full amount received from the City Government, without prejudice to the filing of criminal charges. Beneficiaries of this Program with amortizations overdue three months or more shall be notified of their delinquency and if no payment arrangement is made with ESSO within 10 days from notice, shall be charged in a small claims court for collection.

SECTION 35. Separability Clause. If, for any reason, any section or provision of this Ordinance is declared invalid or unconstitutional, the other provisions not affected thereby shall remain in full force and effect.

SECTION 36. Repealing Clause. All ordinances, resolutions, rules, and regulations, or parts thereof, in conflict with or inconsistent with any of the provisions of this Ordinance are hereby repealed, amended, or modified accordingly.

SECTION 37. Effectivity. This Ordinance shall take effect ten (10) days after its posting in a bulletin board at the entrance of city hall and in at least two (2) other conspicuous places in Naga City.

ENACTED: September 23, 2025

WE HEREBY CERTIFY to the correctness of the foregoing ordinance.

GABRIEL H. BORDADO JR.
City Vice Mayor & Presiding Officer

LILIAN O. PASCUAL
Office-in-Charge, Sangguniang Panlungsod Secretariat

APPROVED:

MARIA LEONOR G. ROBREDO
City Mayor