Duterte signs free SUC

tuition bill into law

Published August 4, 2017 10:08am
Updated August 4, 2017 11:36am
By TRISHA MACAS, GMA News
President Rodrigo Duterte has decided to sign into law a measure that
would provide free tuition in state universities and colleges.

Senior Deputy Executive Secretary Menardo Guevarra made the

announcement on Friday during the Mindanao Hour held at Conrad
Manila.

"I am pleased to announce that last night, August 3, 2017, the President
signed into law the enrolled bill," he said.

Gueverra said that when the Congress sent the bill to Malacaang,
there were a lot of discussions because of its heavy budgetary
implications, but Duterte's will to provide free higher education to the
public prevailed.

"But free tertiary education in state universities and colleges is a very

strong pillar and cornerstone of the President's social development
policy," he said.

"So he weighed everything and came to the conclusion that the long-
term benefits that will be derived from a well-developed tertiary
education on the part of the citizenry will definitely outweigh any short-
term budget challenges... If there's a will, there's a way," he added.

Guevarra explained that the law only compels the government to

subsidize free tuition and other fees. Miscellaneous fees such as
allowances for books and boarding should be covered by the Unified
Student Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education.
As far as I know those are the only mandatory provisions of the bill for
now. The free tuition and other fees. Other fees would refer to
something like library fees, ID fees, laboratory fees, and stuff like that,
he said.

Now as to the subsidy for related educational expenses, that is

something to be processed by the UniFAST board which is supposed to
have a system of priority. In other words, 'yung mga talagang
nangangailangan. The bottom 20 percent will be prioritized in terms of
subsidy for educational-related expenses, he added.

Malacaang has yet to provide the number of the new Republic Act and
the copy of the signed law.

Budget

Gueverra told reporters after the briefing that Commission on Higher

Education pegged the budget for the mandatory provisions of the law at
around P16 billion.

"P16 billion, I think, is manageable," he said.

Presidential Communication Operations Office Assistant Secretary

Marie Banaag on Thursday said Duterte would listen to his economic
managers' opinions on the bill.

But economic managers earlier said the government could not afford
the measure.

Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno said the government would need

P100 billion to provide free tuition in state universities and colleges, but
Guevarra said CHED thought otherwise.

The CHED thinks otherwise. The P100-billion estimate of the DBM

seems to be on the very high side because that is on the basis on the
assumption that all aspects of the free tuition bill will be implemented all
at the same time, he said.

Banaag also pointed out that the government had to spend on a lot of
things, particularly on the rehabilitation of Marawi City after it was
attacked by pro-ISIS Maute group in May and on the repatriation of
overseas Filipino workers.

"Maraming gastos, so nire-reconsider din ng ating Pangulo," she said.

Guevarra said that under the bill, Congress would make the necessary
appropriations to fund the measure.

"During the budget deliberations, many things can still happen. Certain
adjustments can be made so possibly a reallocation maybe done," he
said. KG, GMA News

Source:

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/620637/duterte-signs-free-suc-
tuition-bill-into-law/story/