To: Bureau Directors
Regional Directors
Presidents, State Colleges and Universities
Heads of Private Schools, Colleges and Universities

1. In furtherance of its interest in facilitating the transactions of the public and the various educational constituencies with the Department as well as its drive to strengthen the administrative capability of the DECS regional offices, the exercise of authority over certain functions is hereby delegated to the regional directors and assistant regional directors subject to the guidelines and conditions established herein.
2. The following functions are hereby delegated to the DECS regional offices:
   1. Issuance of Government Permit and/or Government Recognition for graduate (master’s and doctoral) courses and courses requiring bar or board licensure examinations in the practice of the profession; and
   2. Revocation, cancellation or withdrawal of and restoration of cancelled or withdrawn Government Recognition for the above-cited courses for valid cause pursuant to existing laws and Department regulations.
3. The delegation of the following functions as per Paragraph 3.b of MECS Order No. 48, s. 1986, is hereby reiterated:
   1. Modification of school curriculum for all courses and adoption of instructional systems reflective of the culture and traditions of the people in the region;
   2. Issuance of Special Orders and authentication of records, signatures, and authorities for all courses;
   3. Accreditation of scholastic credits earned by students in foreign schools; and
   4. Issuance of Certificates of Eligibility for Admission (CEA) to law, medicine, and dentistry.
4. When the upper curriculum year of a course is granted a Government Permit, the permit for the lower curriculum year(s) is deemed automatically included.
5. The entire course shall be granted Government Recognition at the start of the last curriculum year. There shall be no partial recognition of courses.
6. The grant of Government Recognition must be under the approved name of the school and on the basis of full compliance by the school of at least the minimum requirements therefor as called for in the pertinent Policies and Standards for each course.
7. An existing course that does not deserve the grant of Government Recognition for valid grounds shall not be authorized to operate effective the following school year.
8. The Government Recognition issued to a school for a particular course is deemed automatically revoked, cancelled or withdrawn when it transfers its operation from its originally approved site, or changes its originally approved school corporate status, ownership or control, and administration, or ceases the operation of a course for a school year without prior notice to and approval by the DECS.
9. All courses being operated by a school must have Government Recognition before a permit for a new course may be applied for by the school.
10. Inspection reports which are the bases for evaluating applications for Government Permit or Government Recognition must be comprehensive as to cover in detail each and every particular requirement for the course applied for as well as the viability of the school to operate such course. General statements must be avoided where specific data and information are necessary. The Policies and Standards for each course shall serve as guide for the supervisors and processors in inspecting, evaluating, preparing reports and in drawing up recommendations.
11. A school is disqualified to confer any title or degree or award any certificate or diploma to any pupil or student enrolled in and graduating from a course that has not been granted Government Recognition. No special order shall be issued for graduation of students from a course under Government Permit only.
12. Any request for authentication must be supported by (a) certified copy of special order, (b) diploma, (c) valid transcript of records, and (d) clinical records in the case of medical and para-medical graduates.
13. The grant of advanced collegiate units to students transferring from foreign schools shall be limited to the equivalence of one (1) year of college study.
14. Requests for study permit and renewal thereof by students from foreign schools shall be processed and issued by the DECS regional offices in accordance with existing rules, requirements and procedures.
15. The CEA is issued only once, and the original copy must be submitted to and filed by the law, medical or dental school where the student is accepted as a first year student. A student without the required CEA shall not be considered as officially enrolled.
16. No provision in this DECS Order shall be construed as a limitation on the power of the Secretary of Education, Culture and Sports to review and/or overrule any action undertaken by the Regional Director and/or Assistant Regional Director.
17. All previous issuances or provisions thereof which are inconsistent with this Order are hereby superseded and/or repealed accordingly.
18. This Order shall take effect immediately.

Reference: MECS Order: (No. 48, s. 1986)
DECS Order: (No. 40, s. 1990)
Allotment: 1-3-4—(M.O. 1-87)

To be indicated in the Perpetual Index under the following subjects:
AMENDMENTS
AUTHORITY
COURSE OF STUDY, COLLEGIATE
OFFICIALS
PERMIT
POLICY