THE HOUSE of Representatives has approved on third and final reading House Bill No. 9532, or the “Universal Access to Digital Academic Learning Resources Act,” with 202 lawmakers voting in favor, with no negative votes or abstentions.

The measure seeks to provide students in public and private higher education institutions with free access to digital textbooks and other academic learning resources, as well as high-speed Wi-Fi connectivity on campuses.

House Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III said the proposed law would help ensure that students, regardless of whether they attend public or private institutions, can access essential academic materials without additional cost.

A key provision of the bill is the establishment of a National Academic Content Repository (NACR) under the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), in partnership with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and higher education institutions.

The NACR will serve as a centralized platform providing access to digital textbooks, lecture videos, course syllabi, research papers, and open educational resources covering various academic disciplines.

The bill also mandates campus-wide high-speed Wi-Fi services for enrolled students and faculty members in all public and private higher education institutions.

Under the proposed policy, rural and under-resourced campuses will be prioritized during the initial implementation to help address disparities in access to digital learning resources and connectivity.

Supporters of the measure said the initiative could expand equitable access to quality academic materials, particularly for students in areas where physical textbooks, research resources, and reliable internet connectivity remain limited.

With its approval on third and final reading, House Bill No. 9532 will proceed to the next stage of the legislative process.