(MANILA BULLETIN)

A P40.5-billion fund has been set aside by Congress (House of Representatives and the Senate) to cover the tuition of underprivileged students enrolled in private high schools, Quezon City 4th district Rep. Marvin Rillo bared on Sunday, March 23.

These students were forced to enroll at private institutions due to the lack of Department of Education (DepEd) schools in their communities or the overcrowding of existing public schools.

“The P40.5 billion is allocated in the 2025 national budget,” said Rillo, a member of the House Committee on Appropriations.

He outlined the distribution of the allocation as follows:

·     P27.02 billion for the Senior High School Voucher Program (SHSVP)

·     P12.07 billion for the Junior High School Educational Service Contracting Program (JHSESCP)

·     P1.41 billion for the Joint Delivery Voucher Program (JDVP)

“We remain committed to ensuring that more students stay in school by providing government subsidies, especially for learners from low-income families,” Rillo said.

“The tuition subsidies will not only benefit students but also help sustain the financial viability of private high schools, many of which have struggled financially in recent years,” added the neophyte lawmaker.

The SHSVP provides tuition support for grantees enrolling in private senior high schools (Grades 11 and 12) authorized by the DepEd.

The JHSESCP allows grantees to enroll in contracted private junior high schools (Grades 7 to 10).

The JDVP enables senior high school students pursuing the technical-vocational-livelihood track to take their subjects in private or non-DepEd institutions.

A staunch advocate for expanded public access to education, Rillo authored the 2024 law that abolished the restrictive “no permit, no exam” policy in schools.

Under Republic Act (RA) No. 11984, all schools are now required to allow students to take periodic and final examinations, even if they have unpaid tuition or other fees.