MANILA, Philippines--Each text message would cost 10 centavos more, a lawmaker said Wednesday.

Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez said the additional fee could generate huge amount of revenues for the government, which would be channeled to free elementary and high school education.

But Suarez, chairman of the House oversight committee, said he could not guarantee that his proposal would have a ?no pass on provision? to consumers, which means that the extra cost could be collected by the telecommunications companies from the consumers.

Suarez appealed to the ?conscience? of the telecommunications companies to shoulder the cost, as they have been raking in billions in profits from cellular phone text messages and calls.

Telecommunications firms, he added, charges an average of P1 per text message.

Rodolfo Salalima, senior vice president of Globe Telecoms, told the committee that Filipinos send about two billion text messages a day.

Suarez has asked the National Telecommunications Commission and the Department of Finance to formulate terms for the fee, which could be called ?metering fee? or ?broad spectrum fee.?

He said the technology for metering text messages, calls and even Internet use could be installed to justify the extra fee.

Camarines Norte Rep. Liwayway Vinzons-Chato said Congress should be careful not to classify the extra fee as tax because Senators are opposing the tax on texts.