Legarda credited for free college tuition, help to millions of indigent litigants

By: Jan V. Escosio - 3 years ago

Champion of education and justice. Nationalist People’s Coalition senatorial bet Loren Legarda gets backing from CHED Chairman Prof. Popoy de Vera and PAO Chief Persida Acosta for ensuring funding for free college education and justice delivery for the poor.

MANILA, Philippines — Two ranking government officials have lauded three term senator Loren Legarda for her valuable contributions in the provision of free college education and legal assistance to millions of Filipinos.

In separate Facebook posts, Commission of Higher Education (CHED) chairman Prof. Popoy de Vera and Public Attorneys Office (PAO) chief Persida Acosta had only good words for the comebacking senator for her advocacies that benefit the poor.

Calling Legarda “a champion of education”, de Vera said: “Many do not know that even before the passage of RA 10931 (Universal Access to Quality Education Law), [then] Senator Loren as Chair of the Senate Committee on Finance was able to realign P8-billion to CHED in the 2017 GAA so 800,000 students in 112 SUCs (State Colleges and Universities) no longer pay tuition and miscellaneous fees,” he said.

The CHED chairman added that when RA 10931 became law, Legarda worked with then House Committee on Appropriations Chair Karlo Nograles to look for the P40-billion needed to implement the law in 2018.

“Now, 1.6 million students no longer pay for tuition and miscellaneous fees in more than 200 universities. Another 500,000 get the Tertiary Education Subsidy,” de Vera added.

“They said it could’t be done. With education champions like Loren Legarda it can be done,” he stressed.

For her part, PAO chief Acosta credited Legarda for her unwavering support to the delivery of justice, especially in defense of indigent litigants.

“Kahit kailanman hindi nabawasan ang budget ng PAO nuong Senate Chairman ng Committee on Finance si [former] senator Loren, (There was never a time when PAO’s budget was slashed or reduced when then Senator Loren was Senate Chairman of the Committee on Finance,” Acosta said.

Aside from education and justice, Legarda is running on a platform that includes environmental protection, climate change adaptation, jobs and livelihood creation and promotion of arts, culture and small and medium enterprises.