Council asks CHED to check tuition hikes

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City Council calls on the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to monitor strictly the tertiary schools in their collection of tuition and other school fees.

In a resolution sponsored by Alvin Dizon, the Cebu City Council expressed concern over the transparency in the schools' implementation of such fees.

Dizon wants CHED to make sure that the colleges and universities are following the requirements stipulated in CHED Memorandum Order No. 3 series of 2012 which state that 70 percent of the proceeds derived from the increase of tuition fees must be given to the payment of increase in salaries, wages, allowances and other benefits of both teaching and non-teaching personnel.

Furthermore, the memorandum also mandates that 20 percent shall go to the improvement or modernization of buildings, equipment, libraries, laboratories, gyms and other facilities. This is in relation to the implementation of RA 8729 or the Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education Act.

“It is necessary that colleges and universities will be reminded time and again of the requirements of transparency,” read the resolution.

According to a CHED report, there are 354 private colleges and universities which filed for a tuition hike this school year.

The National Union of Students in the Philippines (NUSP) and Kabataan partylist filed for a petition to withdraw the tuition hikes but the Supreme Court denied it.

In Cebu, there are eight major universities that applied for an increase of eight to ten percent for their tuition fees this year. On the other hand, one private and three state universities retained their fees.  —  (FREEMAN)