Lawmakers ask Duterte to sign free college bill

Lawmakers on Thursday urged President Duterte to immediately sign the free college bill after both Houses of Congress passed it in plenary sessions earlier this week.

The House of Representatives and the Senate have ratified the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education, which aims to make college education accessible to Filipino students in state universities and colleges (SUCs).

ACT Teachers Representatives France Castro and Antonio Tinio made this call to Mr. Duterte in a statement, where they said the chief executive should make the “signing of this bill his top priority.”

Castro said Mr. Duterte must now provide more funds to SUCs, the Commission on Higher and Education and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority in the 2018 budget.

“Let us send more youth to college, Mr. President,” Castro said.

The ratified bill exempts from tuition and miscellaneous and other school fees students in bachelor degree and undergraduate courses in SUCs and local universities and colleges (LUCs), and students in postsecondary technical-vocational education training leading to nondegree and diploma programs of state technical-vocational institutions (TVIs), the statement said.

It also provides for tertiary education subsidy to students in undergraduate postsecondary courses in SUCs, LUCs, private higher education institutions and TVIs.

The tertiary education subsidy covers allowances for books, supplies, transportation and other personal expenses related to education aside from tuition and other school fees, it said.