Solon wants inquiry on exorbitant school fees

MANILA, Philippines - A lawmaker wants an investigation on the imposition of exorbitant fees in public and private institutions in the country.

Kabataan Party-list Rep. Terry Ridon authored House Resolution 1640, which calls on the House of Representatives Committee on Higher Education and Technical Education to invite the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) for an inquiry regarding the matter.

"The collection of miscellaneous fees is a mechanism to extort money from students and their parents because these fees don't need the approval of CHED and do not have to undergo consultation before its implementation," Ridon said.

CHED Memorandum Order No. 3 prohibits the imposition, collection and increase in tuition and other school fees without approval.

Ridon noted that the CHED failed to regulate the imposition of the said order since school administrations use bogus consultations to inform students of proposed increases.

"There are other schools which do not comply at all with the requirements of the memorandum but still manages to have their proposed increases approved by CHED," Ridon said.

Ridon mentioned the following schools for collecting exorbitant fees:

• Central Luzon State University
• Centro Escolar University
• De La Salle University
• Emilio Aguinaldo College
• Eulogio Amang Rodriguez Institution of Science and Technology
• FEATI University
• National University
• Polytechnic University of the Philippines
• San Beda College
• University of Manila
• University of the Philippines

"This translates to massive profits amassed by owners of private higher education institutions and the growing inaccessibility of education in State Universities and Colleges (SUC)," Ridon said, adding that millions of pesos have been extorted from students and parents.

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