Senator Nancy Binay on Monday called on the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) to get rid of the unnecessary requirements they have set for students participating in face-to-face classes.

Binay made the call after CHED and the IATF required students participating in in-person classes to present medical insurance and other documents.

“This is a cumbersome and unnecessary requirement for college students, considering that by law, all Filipinos are automatic members of PhilHealth,” Binay said in a statement.

“Sa totoo lang, di kailangang dagdagan ang proseso, dapat nga mas simplehan pa (As a matter of fact, there’s no need to add to the process, they should make it simpler instead),” the senator pointed out.

Binay stressed a simple vaccination card should have been enough to make it simpler and less arduous.

“Dapat ang requirement, simpleng vaxx (vaccination) card lang. Sinasabi ng iba, isang pindot lang ng app, at magbayad ka ng P500, may insurance ka na. May mali eh. Bakit kailangan papahirapan ang estudyante at magulang? Supposedly libre na nga dahil lahat covered ng PhilHealth (The requirement should only be a simple vaccination card. Others are saying they have to go to an app, pay P500, to avail of an insurance. There’s something wrong. Why make it hard for the students and the parents? Everyone is supposed to covered under the PhilHealth for free),” she said.

Unfortunately, the senator noted that the guidelines the IATF/DOH and CHED have issued for the limited face-to-face classes have been subjected to many interpretations that are almost unreasonable.

When others can’t present a PhilHealth card, students would be required to provide a private health insurance, plus a duly-notarized waiver, health certificate and certificate of indigency.

Others, she pointed out, are beiing required to present negative Covid-19 antigen results.

"We all understand the concern, pero 'wag naman OA (but not overacting). Katatapos lang ng Kwaresma, eto na naman may panibagong pasanin ang mga magulang, estudyante at daigdig (We just spent the Holy Week, and yet parents, our students have another burden to carry)," Binay lamented.

The government has already allowed colleges and universities under Alert Level 1 to hold in-person classes at full classroom capacity, but only fully-vaccinated students with health insurance can participate in face-to-face classes.

Upon announcing the health insurance requirement, the government said that students aged 21 and above may enroll in PhilHealth as indigent members, on grounds that the student has no capacity to pay for the premiums.

On the other hand, students below 21 may be classified as dependents of their parents or legal guardians.