[av_one_full first min_height=” vertical_alignment=” space=” custom_margin=” margin=’0px’ padding=’0px’ border=” border_color=” radius=’0px’ background_color=” src=” background_position=’top left’ background_repeat=’no-repeat’ animation=”]
[av_heading heading=’Loren wants bill seeking free tuition in SUCs passed immediately’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
By Prince Golez, Manila Reporter
[/av_heading]
[av_textblock size=” font_color=’custom’ color=’#0a0a0a’]
Monday, January 30, 2017
[/av_textblock]
[av_textblock size=” font_color=’custom’ color=’#0a0a0a’]
MANILA – Sen. Loren Legarda has called for the immediate passage of the bill seeking to provide free tuition fees in state universities and colleges (SUCs).
Once Senate Bill No. 1304 is enacted into law, all students enrolled in 114 public colleges and universities in the Philippines will no longer pay tuition fees.
“We have already funded the free tuition fee for SUCs through the 2017 General Appropriations Act (GAA). However, mindful of the government’s limited resource, we must ensure that public funds will be used equitably and serve first the poorest of the poor,” said Legarda.
In her sponsorship speech, the chairwoman of the Senate finance committee noted that P5.7 billion has been allocated for the Commission on Higher Education’s Student Financial Programs under the 2017 GAA.
The funding resource, she said, was established to provide scholarships, grants, and other loan programs accessible to poor but deserving students.
P8 billion has also been appropriated for the Higher Education Support Fund of the same agency, Legarda said.
Another P300 million has been approved to provide medical scholarships.
“We have the ability and influence to shape the future of our children and the generations to come,” Legarda said.
“Hence, I urge my colleagues to lend their valuable support so we can enact the best possible version of this bill as we seek to uphold the Constitutional mandate that education shall be the State’s highest priority in terms of allocation of resources,” the senator from Antique ended./PN
[/av_textblock]
[/av_one_full]
