By Ellson Quismorio
The supposed tuition hikes planned by schools and universities this coming school year shouldn't be implemented at all for the sake of Filipinos grappling with the financial impact of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, said Iligan City lone district Rep. Frederick Siao.
(MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
He added that what's important now is to keep children in school.
"I appeal to the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) to disapprove all imminent hikes in tuition and other school fees originally scheduled to take effect in the next academic year," said Siao, referring to academic year 2020 to 2021.
"I fear that because of the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Filipino households and on the national economy, many students could drop out of school in the next school year," the solon said.
Last March 17, a month-long enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) was implemented over Luzon as a way to slow down the contagion. The ECQ comes with the suspension of mass transportation in the quarantine area, plus a strong recommendation for private companies to impose a work-from-home scheme.
However, some companies have decided to shut down during the ECQ period. Some workers, especially those earning minimum wage, simply do not have the option to work-from-home and are still forced to report for duty despite the restriction on movement.
The public transportation sector or the drivers of public utility vehicles (PUVs) have also been stripped of their livelihood during the ECQ.
"The next school year is just some weeks away. Financially-distressed families would probably have great difficulty finding cash to pay for school fees during the next enrollment," Siao said.
"Freezing school fees at current levels would help keep the kids in school," added the chairman of the House committee on civil service and professional Regulation.
Siao said he would support a potential supplemental budget for education vouchers for students, from kinder to college in public and private schools.
"DepEd, CHED, and DBM (Department of Budget and Management) just have to present their proposal to Congress."
He said CHED has already asked private colleges and universities to be considerate and compassionate to students regarding their payment of school fees for the tail end of the current academic year.