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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Bicam OKs proposed P500-M financial aid for students in allied health sciences programs

Bicam OKs proposed P500-M financial aid for students in allied health sciences programs

Published Dec 17, 2025 12:23 pm

At A Glance

  • The bicameral conference committee has approved the proposal to earmark P500-million in financial assistance for Related Learning Experience (RLE) in the 2026 national budget.

The bicameral conference committee has approved the proposal to earmark P500-million in financial assistance for Related Learning Experience (RLE) in the 2026 national budget.

As it is, students in allied health sciences programs will receive the much-needed financial assistance once the final version of the 2026 national budget is approved.

It was Sen. Paolo “Bam” Aquino IV who recommended the P500-million additional funding under the Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) of the Higher Education Development Program specifically for financial support for RLE requirements in Allied Health Sciences Programs.

Allied health sciences programs include Nursing, Medical Technology/Medical Laboratory Science, Pharmacy, Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Respiratory Therapy, Radiologic Technology, Midwifery, Nutrition and Dietetics, Speech-Language Pathology, Human Biology/Pre-Med Allied Programs, Dentistry, Biochemistry, and Psychology.

“Many nursing students choose to drop out because RLE is expensive. Now, there is subsidy, they are now included,” Aquino said pointing out that the matter was brought to his attention during the campaign for the 2025 senatorial elections by nursing students, who informed him about the high expenses they incur for RLE.

The amount, according to the senator, is equivalent to an on-the-job training (OJ) and a requirement for graduating nursing students.

The financial assistance is expected to ease the burden on students in allied health sciences programs and their families, help prevent dropouts, and ensure the completion of clinical training.

“This will reduce their study burden and help them achieve their dream of a better life, not only for themselves, but also for their family and loved ones," he stressed.

Under a special provision in the 2026 budget, the amount will be used to provide one-time financial support to cover expenses incurred by students in allied health sciences programs while fulfilling their RLE requirements.

Under the program, low-income students will be prioritized through the guidelines to be issued by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to ensure equitable and efficient implementation of the provision.

The bicam also approved the P1.38-trillion budget for education—the highest in the country’s history—including P68-billion for the construction of classrooms and P25.6-billion for the School-Based Feeding Program.

Related Tags

bicameral budget deliberations bicameral conference committee Bam Aquino 2026 national budget DepEd CHED
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