Quezon City 4th Rep. Marvin Rillo (Facebook)


Quezon City 4th Rep. Marvin Rillo says he expects smooth sailing in the Bicameral Conference Committee meeting between congressmen and senators when they discuss the bill seeking to prohibit the “no permit, no exam” rule in all private and public educational institutions. “Before Congress adjourned on June 3, the Senate agreed on May 31 to the request made by the House on May 24 for a bicameral conference committee to harmonize our respective versions of the bill,” Rillo, one of the authors of the measure, bared in a statement Sunday, June 18. “We don’t expect any problems in reconciling the House and Senate bills once Congress resumes session,” said the rookie solon, who is a vice chairman of the Committee on Higher and Technical Education. “Once enacted, we are counting on the measure to reduce in a big way the number of students dropping out of school,” Rillo said, adding that parents would be encouraged to keep their children in school. Under the proposed No Permit, No Exam Prohibition Act, public and private schools would be forbidden from imposing any policy to prevent students with outstanding financial obligations from taking examinations or any form of educational assessment with the rest of the student body. Students with unpaid tuition and other fees would be allowed to take their periodic and final tests with the rest of the student body, so long as their parents or legal guardians execute a promissory note to settle their obligations. Under the bill, the school may withhold the release or issuance of grades, diplomas, or certificates, among other interventions, until the obligations are paid. However, the grades, diplomas, or certificates of students with unpaid dues must be processed and recorded together with those of the rest of the student body.