The House of Representatives on late Monday approved on final reading a bill that seeks to allow undergraduates who have been working professionals with more than five years of experience to earn a bachelor's degree.

With 251 affirmative votes, the lower chamber passed House Bill 9015, or the Expanded Tertiary Education Equivalency and Accreditation Program Act, wherein working professionals who, for some reason, were either unable to finish or completely unable to step into college to obtain a bachelor's degree.

The ETEEAP program, operated by virtue of Executive Order 330 signed by the late then-President Fidel Ramos on 10 May 1996, allows working professionals to still earn a bachelor's degree without going through traditional schooling methods.

Under the House-approved measure, senior high school graduates, post-secondary technical-vocational graduates, and college undergraduates who have become professionals with an aggregate of five or more years of work experience could obtain a college degree.

The legislation requires that undergraduates utilize the knowledge, experiences, achievements, and skills they acquired via their employment to earn academic credits, which would then be deducted from the overall number of units or credits necessary for graduation.

Undergraduates are also required to fulfill the requirements of Section 10 of the Alternative Learning System Act (RA 11510), to obtain certification from the Department of Education.

Undergraduates of at least 23 years of age and with at least five years of work experience are eligible to apply under the program.

Other requirements include a completed ETEEAP Application form, certification of passing the DepEd's accreditation and equivalency assessment, employment certificates, birth certificates, resume, curriculum vitae, service record or employment certificate, and job description signed by the employer and a transcript of records.

The Commission on Higher Education, which will spearhead the provisions of the proposed law, will be given additional powers and functions in relation to the ETEEAP.