SENATOR Loren Legarda has filed a measure seeking to authorize state universities and colleges (SUCs) to appoint distinguished foreign nationals to teaching and research positions under exceptional conditions.

Senate Bill No. 2267, titled the Act Authorizing State Universities and Colleges to Appoint Distinguished Foreign Nationals to Teaching and Research Positions and Grant Them Academic Tenure Under Exceptional Conditions, and for Other Purposes, aims to address gaps in the country’s higher education and research capabilities.

Legarda said the Philippines continues to face a shortage of doctoral-qualified faculty members and world-class researchers, particularly in frontier, emerging and highly specialized fields.

The measure cited findings of the Second Congressional Commission on Education, which identified the country’s “thin scientific workforce” and “limited research culture” as structural constraints to national development.

According to the bill’s explanatory note, many Philippine higher education institutions remain focused on undergraduate and career-oriented programs, while research and extension functions remain underdeveloped or nonexistent.

The proposed legislation also noted that the Philippines allocated only 0.32 percent of its gross domestic product to research and development as of 2018, below the 1-percent benchmark recommended by UNESCO.

Under SB 2267, SUCs would be allowed to appoint distinguished foreign nationals exclusively to teaching and research positions, subject to stringent qualifications, exceptional necessity and a documented test of merit.

The bill proposes that the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) exercise prior approval and oversight through a national registry, periodic reviews and graduated enforcement powers.

Foreign nationals appointed under the measure would be barred from holding administrative, governance or policymaking positions.

They would also not acquire civil service rights or vested rights beyond their academic functions.

Their tenure, meanwhile, would be subject to structured monitoring, joint research and curriculum development, with measurable and time-bound outcomes required for continued employment.

Legarda said the measure seeks to provide Philippine universities with a mechanism to attract global academic talent in areas where the country’s domestic academic pipeline has yet to fully develop.

The bill’s immediate passage is being sought as part of efforts to strengthen the country’s academic and research competitiveness and support the internationalization of Philippine higher education.