Mandaluyong City Rep. Benhur Abalos and several congressmen who authored bills seeking to regulate tuition rates grilled CHEd officials who attended yesterday’s public hearing conducted by the Committee on Higher Education on the proposed measures.

Abalos revealed that CHEd documents indicated that an average 11.37 percent was added to tuition rates in 381 schools in school year 2004-2005. He said the average rate of increase is way beyond the inflation rate pegged at 7.3 in the same period.

"HEI’s (higher education institutions) may only be allowed to increase school fees below the prevailing inflation rate during the period," Abalos said.

In the same hearing, Reps. Janette Garin (Lakas, Iloilo) chided CHEd officials for their repeated failure to submit records of tuition fee increases in the past 15 years.

Garin said CHEd has ignored the committee’s request since this was made in May last year.

"Nowadays, it’s very easy to extract records and I believe CHED has the capacity to submit them even tomorrow," Rep. Carmen Cari (Lakas, Leyte) noted.

Irate solons directed CHEd representative Leonila Calaqui to submit the required records by Wednesday afternoon, adding that the House will impose its authority over the agency if its request would be ignored again.

"I am warning you, do not take this committee lightly," warned Deputy Majority Leader Harlin Abayon, acting committee chairman.

Abalos disclosed that the 381 schools that sought tuition fee hikes in 2004 represent 28.8 percent of 1,321 private HEI’s. The highest average increase was registered in Region IV B at 18.07 percent, followed by CARAGA region at 15.69 percent.

At least 83 schools in Metro Manila applied for an average of 10.83 increase on the same school year, Abalos said.