House panel approves free college education bill

MANILA, Philippines - The House committee on higher and technical education approved yesterday a bill that seeks to fully subsidize tuition fees in all state universities  and colleges (SUCs). 

House Bill 5905, or the “Free Higher Education Act,” authored by Valenzuela City Rep. Sherwin Gatchalian, was approved by the panel chaired by Pasig City Rep. Roman Romulo.

Gatchalian said the bill is expected to benefit some two million students in more than 100 SUCs in the country.

“This will entail only P12 billion. The tuition-free program is only less than one percent or 0.35 percent of the P3-trillion national budget for next year,” Gatchalian told reporters.

He said the government is capable of making SUCs tuition-free given the country’s good economic performance, improved tax collection and the unused allocation for infrastructure.

Under the proposed measure, qualified students can avail of the full tuition subsidy, provided they maintain good academic and moral standing.

An initial amount of P10.5 billion shall be appropriated from the Presidential Social Fund to implement the proposal. 

The measure provides for the creation of a Special Tuition Subsidy Fund, which shall be managed by the Commission on Higher Education. 

Gatchalian said tertiary schooling should be given the same priority as basic education, given its individual and social benefits.

He said the measure would increase access to higher education to the level of developed countries. 

The Family and Income Expenditure Survey in 2012 showed that a household led by a college graduate earns an average family income more than twice that of a family headed by one who only finished high school.