48 Caraga, Region 10 schools to hike tuition

BUTUAN CITY — Parents of students in the Caraga region and Northern Mindanao (Region 10) have to brace themselves for another round of increases in tuition and fees this coming school year.

In Region 10 alone, 14 private colleges and universities have secured approval for tuition hikes from the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), while 15 others are still waiting for the agency’s go-signal, said engineer Pablio Eguna, education supervisor of CHED-Northern Mindanao.

Among those which have secured CHED approval are Xavier University, Lourdes College, and Capitol University.

In the Caraga region, meanwhile, Dr. Lorenza Gonzales, education supervisor II of CHED-Caraga, said 34 private and public schools are imposing a 7.6 percent tuition hike based on the current national inflation rate, thus no longer requiring any consultations.

Of the region’s 53 private and state colleges, Gonzales said 19 are maintaining their present tuition levels.

The Caraga region still has no state university.

"Those seeking (tuition increases) beyond 7.6 percent have to undergo consultations with leaders of the student government, faculty association, three members of the alumni and the school administration. This is based on the guidelines imposed by the CHED national office," she said.

Gonzales said private and public tertiary institutions, which increase their tuition rates beyond 7.6 percent without consultations, face sanctions such as revocation of their permits, downgrading of standards’ accreditations or possible closure, among other penalties.

Gonzales said a regional task force composed of representatives of seven government agencies is tasked to monitor schools carrying out CHED Memorandum Order 14, Series of 2005 on tuition and fee increases.

"Unlike before when we only monitored tuition, under the new CHED memorandum we are also tasked to look at other fees collected by school administrations," Gonzales said.

Among the tertiary institutions in Caraga which are set to implement tuition hikes this school year are Saint Joseph Institute of Technology in Butuan City, Surigao Education Center in Surigao City, Southern Technological Institute of the Philippines in Bislig City, Butuan Doctor’s College in Butuan City, Don Jose Ecleo College on Dinagat Island in Surigao del Norte, STI Surigao City, John Bosco College in Bislig City, and Northern Mindanao Institute in Cabadbaran, Agusan del Norte.

Under the CHED memorandum, Gonzales said 70 percent of the proceeds of the tuition hike should go to increased salaries and benefits of faculty members, 20 percent to school development, and 10 percent to the upgrading of textbooks and other information materials.