Leyte 1st district Rep. Martin Romualdez is seeking to repeal the existing Expanded Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education (E-GASTPE) Act, as he believes a more responsive and expansive voucher system program is necessary.

On the first day of the filing of measures in the 20th Congress on Monday, June 30, Romualdez filed 10 different bills, including House Bill (HB) No. 4 or the proposed Private Basic Education Vouchers Assistance Act. It seeks to repeal certain provisions under Republic Act (RA) Nos. 6728 and 8545, which both cover E-GASTPE.

The proposed measure seeks to establish what he calls Bureau of Private Education that will be under the Department of Education (DepEd). It will oversee the implementation of voucher subsidies, teacher support programs and institutional development assistance for private schools.

''Hindi na akma sa panahon ang lumang E-GASTPE law (E-GASTPE law is no longer updated). We are filing this bill to ensure that no Filipino learner is left behind,'' Romualdez said.

“This measure will strengthen our support to students who choose private schools, especially those in overcrowded or underserved areas,” he added.

The measure, which was jointly introduced by Romualdez and Tingog Party-list Reps. Andrew Julian Romualdez and Jude Acidre, also aims to help private schools recover from mounting difficulties.

In its explanatory note, the bill said that enrollment in private schools plummeted by 48 percent during the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. It highlighted the sector’s vulnerability.

Even before the pandemic, many students had already been transferring to public schools due to the exodus of private school teachers—often lured by better compensation and job security in the public sector.

For ex-House Speaker Romualdez and his co-authors, the shift has not only strained private schools but has also placed immense pressure on the public school system.

Also under the measure, qualified students from middle-income and underprivileged families will be granted government-issued vouchers to enroll in private basic education schools when public schools in their area are either congested or unavailable.

The amount of the voucher will vary depending on the student’s economic background, with priority support extended to the poorest sectors.

Private schools may participate in the program through a recognition process and must submit to periodic quality assessments based on student outcomes, teacher development and institutional readiness.

Schools located in areas affected by conflict or those that are isolated and with limited resources will be granted flexible conditions for participation.

The bill also includes a Teachers' Salary Subsidy Fund and an In-Service Training Fund to support teacher retention and development in the private sector, a response to years of attrition as many private school teachers have shifted to better-paying jobs in public schools.

This is also a labor issue. Hindi natin pwedeng pabayaan ang mga guro sa private schools. Kapag nawala sila, damay pati ang mga batang umaasa sa kanila (We cannot neglect our teachers in the private schools. If they are gone, students who depend on them will also be gone), ex-Speaker Romualdez said.

To ensure effective governance, the Bureau of Private Education will serve as the focal office for all private basic education matters, including monitoring of voucher use, school performance and compliance with DepEd policies.

A new inter-agency Basic Education Assistance Council composed of DepEd, DBM and NEDA will provide strategic oversight.

The bill also mandates the publication of a public registry of participating schools, including tuition rates, classroom size, available slots and extracurricular offerings, allowing parents to make informed decisions.