The six congressmen of the City of Manila jointly filed House Resolution 2126 urging the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Unified Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education (UNIFAST) to support the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM) in covering its rising school fees.
The resolution highlights the need for the agencies to reimburse PLM for tuition rate increases that took effect at the beginning of the school year 2023 to 2024.
The Manila lawmakers emphasized that PLM has adhered to the provisions of the UNIFAST Law (Republic Act 10931) and CHED Memorandum Order No. 3, Series of 2012, which set guidelines for tuition fees in state universities and colleges.
Under these regulations, PLM was able to raise its tuition fees from P293 per unit to P1,200 per unit, following the expiration of the five-year moratorium imposed by Republic Act 10931.
“Nearly two school years are about to pass. We and PLM have waited long enough for action from CHED and UNIFAST. This is why all six Manila congressmen filed our resolution now. We expect CHED and UNIFAST to heed our call on behalf of the 13,000 students and 600 personnel of PLM,” said Manila 2nd District Rep. Rolando Valeriano.
The congressmen have also expressed their willingness to engage in discussions with CHED and UNIFAST regarding the matter.
“We are open to listening to what CHED and UNIFAST have to say in response to our resolution and the appeals of PLM,” Valeriano added.