Senator Erwin Tulfo is pushing for a 20 percent discount on mobile prepaid load, postpaid plans, and mobile internet packages for all enrolled Filipino students amid the repeated shift to online classes due to severe weather.

Under Senate Bill No. 2275, or the proposed “Student Load Discount Act,” Tulfo seeks to ease the financial pressure on families as students increasingly rely on mobile data and internet connectivity for their education.

“We have to slash this added expense from students which too often prevents our students from keeping up with their online classes. This is our way to somehow level the playing field,” Tulfo said.

“We cannot expect students, especially those who come from indigent families to seamlessly transition into digital learning without the government lending them a helping hand,” he added.

The proposed measure would cover Filipino students enrolled in authorized elementary, secondary, technical-vocational, and higher education institutions, while excluding those pursuing post-graduate studies.

The 20 percent discount would be available throughout the year, including weekends and holidays, to ensure students have continuous access to connectivity for academic purposes.

Students seeking the discount would only need to present a valid school ID or proof of enrollment, together with a birth certificate as proof of Filipino citizenship.

Telecommunications companies would be required by law to provide the discount on all eligible services, with penalties imposed on providers that fail to comply.

Tulfo, who chairs the Senate Committee on Social Justice, Welfare and Rural Development, said the way schools respond to class suspensions has changed significantly as institutions increasingly turn to online learning to prevent disruptions in the academic calendar.

“Before, when classes are suspended, there were simply no classes. But this time around, most schools immediately shift to online modality to avoid academic backlogs,” Tulfo said.

“It is our duty in the government to guarantee access. A student's potential to learn should never be halted simply because they cannot afford mobile data or an internet connection. No student must be left offline when everyone else should be online,” he said.