Unlike Diokno, Recto says he supports free college law

Finance Secretary Ralph Recto (File photo by RYAN LEAGOGO / INQUIRER.net)

MANILA, Philippines — Finance Secretary Ralph Recto said he remains supportive of the government’s free college education law, in yet another stark contrast to the position of his predecessor who called the program fiscally “unsustainable.”

In a chance interview with reporters on Tuesday, Recto, who authored the legislation when he was still a senator, said the government should create more fiscal space to “expand” its spending for education.

“Of course, it’s a mix between where do we spend it — in the primary, secondary, tertiary. There’s always going to be that debate,” the finance chief said. “But the important thing is we spend more on education.”

Recto’s support for his pet legislation was the latest deviation from the position of his predecessor, Benjamin Diokno, who had wanted a review of Republic Act (RA) No. 10931, or the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act of 2017.J

Just recently, Recto abandoned Diokno’s plan to merge the Development Bank of the Philippines and Land Bank of the Philippines, arguing that the mandates of the two state-run banks were different.

He also scrapped his predecessor’s plan to impose excise levies on sweet drinks and junk food, saying these measures would stoke inflation and hurt families.

READ: 98% of Pinoys favor free college education

Recto likewise veered away from Diokno’s proposed reform of the military and uniformed personnel pension system that would have mandated blanket contributions covering both active personnel and new recruits.

RA 10931 allows eligible college students to enroll in state universities and colleges (SUCs) for free. Diokno was the budget secretary when the Duterte administration passed the law at a time when the government was on a solid fiscal footing, and before the COVID-19 pandemic saddled the state’s balance sheet with a heavy debt load.

For Diokno, the current version of the law was “inefficient and wasteful” because of a “rising dropout rate.” Among other things, he had suggested holding a nationwide exam so that only deserving students could enjoy state-funded college education in their assigned SUCs or select private universities.

Data from the budget department showed approximately 74,262 learners for the school year 2024 would benefit from the P3.41-billion fund allocated for the free college tuition program. In the same interview, Recto said the government’s spending priorities should also focus on education, not just infrastructure, adding, “I think it’s (education) the most important investment.”

”No matter how much infrastructure you build, it’s the people who would be using that infrastructure productively. So if they’re not educated, how would they use it productively?” he said.