Voting 22-0, the Senate approved on third and final reading the proposed Basic Education Voucher Program Act, a measure seeking to address public schools decongestion, and expand access to education.

Senate Bill No. 1981, a proposal pushed by Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano, was approved by the Upper Chamber on Monday evening, May 4, 2026, after the Senate approved a consolidated version of the private education voucher bill. 

Cayetano said the bill aims to give disadvantaged K to 12 learners more school choices. The measure incorporated key provision of his Senate Bill No, 422 or The Learner’s Choice (TLC) Act of 2025, which seeks to provide learners a government-funded voucher that they can use in any private school of their choice that is recognized by the Department of Education (DepEd).

A former co-chairperson of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2), the senator said the measure would help uphold every Filipino child’s right to accessible and quality basic education, while helping resolve the long-standing problem of congestion in public schools.

“The Constitution guarantees the right of every Filipino to accessible and quality education at all levels and mandates the State to take appropriate steps to make such education available to all,” Cayetano said.

He said the Senate-approved version retained the core idea of the TLC Act, in which assistance should follow the learner, allowing families to decide which school can best serve their child.

Based on the Senate version, the proposed voucher program would be learner-held and portable, unlike the existing Expanded Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education (GASTPE) program, where subsidies are coursed through participating schools and limited by allocated slots.

Also, unlike the E-GASTPE LAW, which only covers specific grade levels, the Basic Education Voucher Program will cover all basic education learners.

Sen. Paolo “Bam” Aquino IV, author and sponsor of the measure, said the primary aim of the measure is to “reduce overcrowding in public schools through private education vouchers.”

“This is an important step toward addressing the crisis in our education system. Let us ensure that no child is left behind in our country,” Aquino said.

He said priority beneficiaries include students from low-income households, 4Ps families, Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDAs), indigenous peoples, learners with disabilities and those under foster care.

“This program is important because it directly helps families, especially students who need Special Education (SPED),” he stressed.

The SB No. 1981 also includes safeguards and penalties to prevent ghost learners, delays and other fraudulent practices.

“We will ensure that there are no more ghost students and no one can take advantage of the system. What our students need is education, not corruption,” Aquino said.