President Rodrigo Duterte finally signed Republic Act 10931 also known as the “Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act” which aims to provide free tuition to students enrolled in state-sponsored or public colleges, as well those enrolled in vocational schools.
CNN Philippines reports that Senior Deputy Executive Secretary Menardo Guevarra confirmed this through a forum conducted on August 4, 2017. The bill was approved by Congress in May of 2017and passed it on to the Executive office on July 5, 2017.
The source stated that the bill gives “full tuition subsidy for students in State Universities and Colleges (SUCs), local universities and colleges, and state-run technical-vocational schools.”
The bill also covers other fees, namely those related to the use of public school libraries, computers, laboratories, school IDs, athletic needs, admission requirements, student development, student guidance counseling, handbooks, entrance exams, registration fees, medical, dental, cultural, and other such school fees.
Those who are financially-challenged will also be given a stipend or subsidies, along with a more comprehensive student loan program.
For those who can afford to pay the full tuition, they may choose not to avail the subsidies provided through a mechanism. In the Duterte regime’s initiative to improve the country’s tertiary educational system, an amount of ₱8 billion was allotted for this year to enact the free tuition for state universities and colleges.
On June 16, 2017, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) announced that they would offer cash grants for medical students in public medical schools.
Rodrigo Duterte believed that there are plenty of long-term benefits that the bill could offer compared to the short-term budget challenges. He said in a statement:
However, the budget allocated for 2018 does not have any provisions for free tuition for public college schools. Furthermore, adjustments will still have to be made during the deliberations, Guevarra revealed. As of now, only the 2017 academic year can be accommodated.
Guevarra added:
“Whether we need to convince the economic managers, that won’t be necessary at all. This is now a law and everyone has to look forward to implement this law, whether or not you were originally opposed to it, that is now beside the point.”
Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno was against the bill and expressed that only students belonging to the middle-to-upper class would benefit from it. He said:
“In the absence of any law, we cannot appropriate money for free tuition. We estimate that the cost of this bill, it will cost us something around ₱100 billion. Hindi po kaya ng gobyerno ‘yan. Only 12 percent of the poor get to the state universities, 12 percent, and when you say free tuition, you are actually subsidizing the rich.”
His statement was rebutted by a number of lawmakers, who claimed that the bill would only cost them around ₱15 billion. Bayan Muna Representative Carlos Zarate said:
“Hindi po totoo ang sinabi ng economic managers na hindi kayang tustusan ng gobyerno. Napatunayan natin ngayong taon, may pondo para sa state universities and colleges. Hindi nila pwede sabihin na ngayong taon ‘di kayang pondohan.”
What do you think about Rodrigo Duterte signing the free tuition bill? Do you approve of it? Let us know if you agree or disagree in the comments section below!
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