Finance Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno's recent statement regarding the need to review the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education (UAQTE) gained mixed reactions from lawmakers.
Sen. Juan Edgardo "Sonny" Angara believes that the review should be made from the perspective of making richer families pay.
"Multi-millionaire families should pay tuition so that more resources can go to support poorer families and students," he said.
On the other hand, Sen. Francis Escudero stated that he cannot understand why Diokno is so “stingy” when it comes to investing in our country’s “human capital” and yet liberal and magnanimous when it comes to “flood control” projects which is something that has not worked.
According to the veteran lawmaker, last year P181-billion was allocated for flood control, without having an impact on lessening the flooding in different parts of the country.
"If at all, it is this allocation that should be reviewed and revisited," Escudero said.
Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, for his part, said Diokno made a "very valid point."
Pimentel noted that the free college education should be for "those who want to go to college, for those who have the aptitude to study in college, and for those who can secure a competitive slot in college as determined through competitive examination."
The UAQTE law, also known as Republic Act (RA) 10931, was passed in 2017, making it mandatory for public higher education and government-run technical-vocational institutions to provide free quality tertiary education to Filipino students.
Diokno, who currently serves as secretary of the Department of Finance (DOF), argues that offering free tuition to all students may be wasteful and inefficient, as not all students are fully committed to their studies.
He cited data from the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) wherein the dropout and attrition rate of college students in the country was approximately 34 percent between 2016 and 2022.
Diokno also expressed concerns about the program's sustainability and its potential strain on government resources.