Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero on Friday, December 6 lauded President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. for signing into law Republic Act Number 10277 or the Student Loan Payment Moratorium During Disasters and Emergencies Act, saying it will help curb the cases of enrollees dropping out of school due to financial constraints.

Escudero said the law is a “timely intervention from government” as the law is meant to provide a lifeline to students, particularly those from underprivileged families, to continue their studies even after experiencing a disaster or calamity.

“We are currently experiencing a higher frequency of weather disturbances that are more intense and destructive. We always see the destruction caused in the aftermath of these calamities, but we often miss the other victims, the students, many of whom end up sacrificing their future because of these disasters,” said Escudero, co-author and sponsor of the bill.

“This law adheres to the spirit of ‘damayan’ among Filipinos. It is the obligation of the government to ensure that each and every child has access to education and to find ways to remove any obstacles that stand in the way of her or his full education,” the Senate leader added. 

Senator Manuel “Lito” Lapid, principal author of the bill, also welcomed the new law, as this would greatly help students in calamity-prone areas and have been declared so by the government. 

“Ang purpose ng batas ay mabigyan ng ginhawa yung mga magulang ng mga estudyante sa panahon ng mga kalamidad na nahihirapan makabayad sa kanilang pag-aaral (The purpose of this law is to provide the students’ parents relief especially during calamities and they have difficulty paying for their tuition),” Sen. Manuel “Lito” Lapid said. 

“Pinasasalamatan ko at natutuwa akong ginawang priority ng Pangulo ang aking pet bill para sa ating mga kabataan (I’m thankful and happy that the President prioritized my pet bill which is meant for our youth),” he added. 

Lapid is one of the senators who filed the bill and pushed for its enactment into law, having experienced difficulty pursuing his studies in the past also due to poverty. 

Escudero, however, clarified that the newly-signed law only provides a temporary freeze on payments.

“Just to be clear, this is not loan forgiveness but a payment freeze for the duration of the declaration of a state of calamity or emergency and for another 30 days after its lifting,” Escudero said.

The law ensures that students who will avail of the moratorium on loan payments will not affect their eligibility for re-enrolment or graduation.

The law also provides for a moratorium on the payment of what tertiary students financially owe their schools when these are within the jurisdiction of a national or a local declaration of a state of calamity. 

This includes all fees, charges and costs relating to the student loans incurred for higher education and TVET programs.