REPUBLIC ACT NO. 1886 - AN ACT TO FURTHER AMEND SECTIONS TWO AND THREE OF REPUBLIC ACT NUMBERED SIXTY-FIVE, AS AMENDED BY REPUBLIC ACT NUMBERED THIRTEEN HUNDRED AND SIXTY-TWO, TO EXTEND EDUCATIONAL BENEFITS TO VETERANS OF THE KOREAN WAR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Sections two and three of Republic Act Numbered Sixty-five, as amended by Republic Act Numbered Thirteen hundred and sixty-two, are hereby amended to read as follows:

"SEC. 2. Officers and enlisted men in good standing of the Philippine Army and of any recognized or deserving guerrilla organizations who took active participation in the resistance movement and/or in the liberation drive against the enemy, and those who honorably served with the Philippine Expeditionary Forces to Korea (PEFTOK) and have neither heretofore enjoyed educational benefits under this Act nor under United States laws, who desire to study, or one child of a veteran in whose favor he renounces such right, or the widow or child of a deceased veteran in whose favor the same right is applied for the surviving widow or legal guardian, shall, upon certification of the Chairman of the Philippine Veterans Board be admitted to, any school, college, university or institution authorized by the government, free from all school including tuition, matriculation, athletic, library, laboratory, medical, ROTC, diploma, and graduation fees: Provided, That if the widow remarries, she loses the benefits granted her under this section: Provided, however, That if the veteran contracted two or more marriages and there are children in any or all of such marriages, or if the veteran and his wife died before the enactment of this law, the Philippine Veterans Board shall decide as to who of the children shall enjoy the benefits granteg herein: Provided, further, That the length within a veteran, or child of a deceased veteran, may enjoy this benefit shall be determined length of the veteran's war time service between the of December eight, nineteen hundred and forty-one December second, nineteen hundred and forty-five, and between the period of September fifteen, nineteen hundred fifty to May thirty-one, nineteen hundred fifty-five in the of case of PEFTOK veterans plus one year but in no case less than two school years: Provided, further, That a school shall mean four quarters or two semesters and one summer: Provided, further, That if after utilizing this period the veteran has not yet finished the course he is taking, the Board may in its discretion allow him to finish his course depending on his scholastic standing: Provided, further, That the veteran is considered not to be using the lumber of school years he is entitled to if he is enrolled only in the elementary grades or in the high school; Provided, further, That the educational benefit may be utilized for review courses such as the pre-bar, pre-board and the CPA reviews: Provided, further, That the board may in its discretion and for plausible reasons authorize the veteran to change the course which he has originally applied or which he is actually taking: Provided, further, no private school, college, or institute can be compelled to accept any number which exceeds twenty-five per centum of its entire enrollment."

"SEC. 3. The benefits of the next preceding section shall available only to those who signify their desire to study to the Chairman of the Philippine Veterans Board not later than one year after the approval of this amendatory Act." SEC. 2. There is authorized to be appropriated, out of any funds in the National Treasury not otherwise appropriated, the sum of one million eight hundred thousand pesos, or so much thereof as may be necessary, to carry out the provisions of this amendatory Act initially following its approval. Such sums as thereafter may be needed for the same purpose shall be include in the annual General Appropriations Act.

SEC. 3. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

Approved, June 22, 1957.