Senator Alan Peter Cayetano is now pushing for the passage of a landmark bill aimed at tearing down all financial barriers keeping millions of Filipinos from exercising a constitutional right—the opportunity to finish their education.

Cayetano filed the proposed “Makakapagtapos Ako Act of 2025” as one of the top 10 priority measures for the 20th Congress.

The senator said the bill is designed to “complement and supplement” the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act by covering not just tuition but also other education-related expenses.

The proposed educational support begins in public kindergarten and extends all the way to graduate school. Included in the program are learners in technical-vocational programs and the Alternative Learning System (ALS).

“Our growth through education and lifelong learning is a fundamental right, not a mere privilege,” Cayetano said in his explanatory note.

“Yet for many Filipinos, access to quality education remains elusive, often determined more by socio-economic status than by ability and determination,” he continued.

Under the bill, all students in public basic education will receive free school supplies, uniforms, and learning materials at the start of each school year.

For college students, the bill mandates every city and municipality to set up a Local Government Educational Assistance Program that will provide financial aid to residents enrolled in public or private colleges and universities.

Also under the measure, priority shall be given to college students who belong to the marginalized and disadvantaged sectors, are enrolled in priority courses, and excel academically.

The bill also proposes financial support for students taking licensure exams, those pursuing master’s or doctorate degrees, and enrollees in technical-vocational programs.

Targeted support will also be extended to learners with disabilities, members of indigenous communities, solo-parent households, and other disadvantaged sectors.

“This bill is anchored on the Christian principle that every single life is valuable. An inclusive society leaves no one behind,” he said.

Moreover, Cayetano said he is proposing allocating P25 billion yearly for infrastructure development, facilities upgrading, and construction of student dormitories in all state universities and colleges (SUCs) over the course of 10 years.

“By investing in the physical capacity of our public institutions, we complete the support system,” he said.

Cayetano said the bill draws inspiration from the student support system already in place in the City of Taguig under his wife Mayor Lani Cayetano.

In Taguig, all college students receive annual grants ranging from P15,000 to P50,000. Public school students also enjoy free uniforms, school supplies, and zero miscellaneous fees.

Public elementary graduates who enroll in private high schools also receive tuition subsidies and allowances.

“We recognize that education is a vital key to social progress and human development, and we are committed to sharing and realizing this vision for the rest of the country,” he said.

“(Thus), we need to come up with a good law na hindi lang scholarship kundi from birth pa lang, how to get to college, at paano makapagtapos, (that don’t just focus offer scholarship but a means to help them acquire education from birth, how to get to college, and how they will graduate),” he said.