Solon questions gov't's sincerity in implementation of free college education
Published Sep 13, 2019 07:18 pm
By Ellson Quismorio
The government isn't serious with its implementation of Republic Act (RA) 10931 or the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act, ACT-Teachers Party-List Rep. France Castro said Friday.
ACT-Teachers Party-List Rep. France Castro
(Facebook / MANILA BULLETIN) Castro stated this as she slammed the slashed budgets of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) in the proposed P4.1-trillion national budget for 2020. “Nakikita natin dito na hindi seryoso yung pagpapatupad ng napakahalagang serbisyong pang-edukasyon sa ating mamamayan (We see that the implementation of this important, education-related service isn't serious),” she said. “Primary agencies with crucial items that implement the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education incurred cuts in the 2020 budget. Under the CHED budget, the item Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education had a P7.15-billion cut. Under the TESDA budget, the Promotion, Development, and Implementation of Quality Technical Education and Skills Development Programs had a P280.49-million cut,” Castro noted. The 304-member House is currently conducting plenary debates on the 2020 General Appropriations Bill (GAB), or the proposed national budget. Enacted in August 2017, the much-celebrated RA 10931 provides for free tuition and miscellaneous fees for college students in all 114 State Universities and Colleges (SUC) in the country. Other beneficiaries include college students in the 16 Local Universities and Colleges (LUCs) accredited by CHED and 122 Technical-Vocational Institutions (TVIs) under the TESDA. “Gusto nga nating maging accessible yung tertiary education. Kahit sa TESDA binawasan yung budget para doon sa skills training na kaakibat din ito ng free tertiary education (We want tertiary education to be accessible. However, they even reduced the budget of TESDA for skills training, which is supposed to augment free tertiary education),” lamented Castro, who belongs to the militant Makabayan Bloc. She added that some 53 SUCs also incurred reductions in their overall budgets, with some having zero budgets for Capital Outlay, which is basically used for infrastructure repairs or construction. Some P57.76 million was also slashed in the Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) in the whole SUC budget, Castro noted. “These are alarming figures that does not follow the provisions of RA 10931, saying that the State shall provide adequate funding and such other mechanisms to increase the participation rate among all socioeconomic classes in tertiary education. Instead of providing adequate funding... budget for essential items and agencies in the implementation of the law continue to be slashed." “We urge Congress to restore the cuts in the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education, budget for the MOOE and Capital Outlay of SUCs and TESDA. Let us not abandon our responsibility to the people in providing adequate funding for the Free Higher Education law,” Castro concluded.
ACT-Teachers Party-List Rep. France Castro(Facebook / MANILA BULLETIN) Castro stated this as she slammed the slashed budgets of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) in the proposed P4.1-trillion national budget for 2020. “Nakikita natin dito na hindi seryoso yung pagpapatupad ng napakahalagang serbisyong pang-edukasyon sa ating mamamayan (We see that the implementation of this important, education-related service isn't serious),” she said. “Primary agencies with crucial items that implement the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education incurred cuts in the 2020 budget. Under the CHED budget, the item Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education had a P7.15-billion cut. Under the TESDA budget, the Promotion, Development, and Implementation of Quality Technical Education and Skills Development Programs had a P280.49-million cut,” Castro noted. The 304-member House is currently conducting plenary debates on the 2020 General Appropriations Bill (GAB), or the proposed national budget. Enacted in August 2017, the much-celebrated RA 10931 provides for free tuition and miscellaneous fees for college students in all 114 State Universities and Colleges (SUC) in the country. Other beneficiaries include college students in the 16 Local Universities and Colleges (LUCs) accredited by CHED and 122 Technical-Vocational Institutions (TVIs) under the TESDA. “Gusto nga nating maging accessible yung tertiary education. Kahit sa TESDA binawasan yung budget para doon sa skills training na kaakibat din ito ng free tertiary education (We want tertiary education to be accessible. However, they even reduced the budget of TESDA for skills training, which is supposed to augment free tertiary education),” lamented Castro, who belongs to the militant Makabayan Bloc. She added that some 53 SUCs also incurred reductions in their overall budgets, with some having zero budgets for Capital Outlay, which is basically used for infrastructure repairs or construction. Some P57.76 million was also slashed in the Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) in the whole SUC budget, Castro noted. “These are alarming figures that does not follow the provisions of RA 10931, saying that the State shall provide adequate funding and such other mechanisms to increase the participation rate among all socioeconomic classes in tertiary education. Instead of providing adequate funding... budget for essential items and agencies in the implementation of the law continue to be slashed." “We urge Congress to restore the cuts in the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education, budget for the MOOE and Capital Outlay of SUCs and TESDA. Let us not abandon our responsibility to the people in providing adequate funding for the Free Higher Education law,” Castro concluded.