RIZAL Fourth District Representative Fidel Nograles is hopeful that President Bongbong Marcos Jr. will soon sign the Expanded Tertiary Education Equivalency and Accreditation Program (ETEEAP) into law.

According to Nograles, chairman of the Committee on Labor and Employment, House Bill 9015 was passed by the House as early as September 2023, but its counterpart bill was only recently approved by the Senate.

The measure aims to provide undergraduates with an alternative path to obtaining a diploma through an equivalency program based on their work experience and skills.

Once enacted, employees who have worked for at least five years can be promoted, as the knowledge and skills they’ve acquired on the job will be matched through the program.

To qualify, applicants must be Filipino citizens, at least 23 years old, and have five years of cumulative work experience. They will need to submit proof of passing the Department of Education’s Accreditation and Equivalency Assessment, along with an employment certificate, birth certificate, résumé, job description signed by their employer, and transcript of records.