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BY PRINCE GOLEZ
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MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte did not mention the proposal for free college education in his second State of the Nation Address on Monday.
Sen. Paolo Benigno Aquino IV, author of Senate Bill No. 177, or the proposed “Free Higher Education for All Act,” was disappointed.
“Nasaan ang libreng kolehiyo?” he said. “Marami pong umasa na babanggitin ni Pangulong Duterte ang napakaimportanteng repormang ito na magbibigay ng libreng edukasyon sa milyon-milyong Pilipino.”
Senate approved the bill in March while the House of Representatives passed a counterpart measure – the “Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act” – in May. The bicameral conference committee has approved it.
Duterte have yet to sign the measure into law, Aquino said.
There is a need to prioritize free education and give more Filipinos access to a college degree and a brighter future, he said. “Isabatas na sana ang panukalang ito sa lalong madaling panahon.”
Under the proposed Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act, students enrolled in state universities and colleges (SUCs), and local universities and colleges will be eligible to free tuition.
The measure also aims to streamline and strengthen all Student Financial Assistance Programs, making it available to students who want to pursue higher education in private institutions, as well as subsidize other expenses of SUC students./PN
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