Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. has sought congressional passage of his bill seeking to grant free college entrance examinations to the underprivileged public senior high school graduating students and graduates belonging to the top 15 percent of their graduating class for admission in private higher education institutions.
In the explanatory note of Senate Bill (SB) 1407, Revilla cited Article XIV, Section 1 of the 1987 Constitution which states that “The State shall protect and promote the rights of all citizens to quality education at all levels and shall take appropriate steps to make such education accessible to all.”
Moreover, Section 2(3) states that the State shall “establish and maintain a system of scholarship grants, student loan programs, subsidies, and other incentives which shall be available to deserving students in both public and private schools, especially to the underprivileged.
Revilla explained that considering the rising cost of education, especially college education, a sizable high school graduates find it impossible to continue their college degree once they fail to secure admission in a State University and College (SUC) or Local University and College (LUC) because of their limited financial capacity.
Revilla emphasized that his bill aims to ensure that poor but deserving and qualified public senior high graduating students and graduates are given equal opportunities in applying for college admission to private higher education institutions by removing hindrances at the entry level, such as the prohibitive cost of entrance examinations.
Under SB 1407, a student shall become eligible as beneficiary under this Act when the following requirements are met:
a. A natural born Filipino citizen;
b. Must be a graduating high school student or graduate who belongs to the top 15 percent of their graduating class and seeks to be admitted to a private higher education institution within the country; and
c. Must belong to a family whose combined income falls below the poverty threshold, as determined by the NEDA and DSWD.
The eligible beneficiaries may avail of these waived fees for no more than three examinations.