The national government is pouring ₱41 billion this year in the effort to support the education of 2.58 million underprivileged students enrolled in private high schools.

Thus, said House Minority Leader 4Ps Party-list Rep. Marcelino “Nonoy” Libanan, who noted that the fund would cover the tuition fees of poor students who were compelled to attend private high schools in areas where public schools were either unavailable or severely overcrowded.

“This allocation will enable an estimated 2.58 million students from low-income households, as well as those in overcrowded public schools, to pursue and complete their secondary education in private schools,” Libanan said in a statement Monday, March 2.

“The funding will help ensure that more students stay in school, especially at a time when many families are under significant economic pressure and students face a heightened risk of dropping out to seek immediate gainful employment,” he added.

Libanan says the ₱41 billion allocation for high school education subsidies is distributed as follows:

·      ₱12.3 billion for the Junior High School Educational Service Contracting Program (JHSESC);

·      ₱26.5 billion for the Senior High School Voucher Program (SHSVP); and 

·      ₱2.2 billion for the Joint Delivery Voucher Program (JDVP).

Data from the Second Congressional Commission on Education (Edcom II) indicate that a substantial number of senior high school students drop out.

For example, in school year 2024-2025, a total of 2,041,601 students were enrolled in Grade 11. Of these, 169,836 students—representing 8.3 percent—dropped out and did not advance to Grade 12.

“Keeping more students in school is not just an education policy — it is an economic safeguard for our families and our future workforce,” Libanan said.

“When we support students through financial hardship, we give them a real chance to finish their studies and break the cycle of poverty,” he added.

The JHSESC allows grantees — primarily graduates of public elementary schools — to enroll in Grades 7 to 10 in private high schools contracted by the Department of Education (DepEd).

The SHSVP provides tuition grants to enable qualified Grade 10 completers, as determined by the DepEd, to enroll in Grades 11 and 12 in participating private high schools.

The JDVP extends tuition grants to senior high school students in the technical-vocational-livelihood track, enabling them to enroll in private institutions or non-DepEd schools offering specialized courses.

The DepEd and the Private Education Assistance Committee jointly manage the SHSVP and the JHSESC, while DepEd solely administers the JDVP.