14.8-B tertiary education subsidy release is ‘best Christmas gift’
The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) described as the “best Christmas gift” the recent release of a 14.8-billion Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES) which will benefit thousands of students in public universities.
CHED Chairperson Prospero de Vera III said in a statement the “most important social justice program” of the Duterte administration – which is the Republic Act No. 10931, also known as the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act – is “now fully felt by millions of students” enrolled in State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) and Local Universities and Colleges (LUCs) with the release of the TES fund.
“This is the best Christmas gift given by President Rodrigo
Roa Duterte to our poor but deserving students. Let us ensure the implementation of RA 10931 is executed promptly and benefit those who need it most,” De Vera said.
The subsidy is one of the “core components” of RA 10931, with a 116-billion funding from the national government. De Vera said the subsidy benefits poor but deserving students enrolled in the 112 SUCs and 78 LUCS, and whose names are included in the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
The TES beneficiaries in public universities, de Vera said, will receive 140,000 annually that “they can use for books, transportation, supplies, room and board fees, and other education-related expenses.”
Because all SUCs and LUCs students already enjoy free tuition and miscellaneous fees since June 2018” the TES is an “additional benefit given to financiallyneedy students,” he said.
De Vera, who is also the chairman of the Unified Student Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education (UniFAST), said that in November, 1567 million was released for the stipends for 13,760 continuing Expanded Student Grants-in-Aid Program for Poverty Alleviation (ESGPPA) scholars.
Last December 21, CHED and UniFAST released checks to SUCs and LUCs for the stipends of 117,133 new TES beneficiaries.
Based on CHED-UniFAST data, the 10 universities with the biggest number of TES grantees are: Jose Rizal Memorial University in Region 9 with 3,997 grantees; Western Mindanao State University in Region 9 (3,104); Eastern Visayas State University in Region 8 (3,079); Cebu Technological University in Region 7 (2,959); Surigao Del Sur State University in Caraga Region (2,936); Batangas State University in Region 4 (2,871); Capiz State University in Region 6 (2, 606); Bohol Island State University in Region 7 (2,602 ); University of Eastern Philippines in Region 8 (2,462 ); Romblon State University in Mimaropa Region (2,209).
The 10 LUCs with largest number of TES grantees are Kolehiyo ng Lungsod ng Lipa in Region 4 with 1,204 grantees;
Monkayo College of Arts, Science, and Technology in Region 11 (435); Opol Community College in Region 10 (375); Gov. Alfonso D. Tan College in Region 10 (363); Caramoan Community College in Region 5 (358); Baao Community College in Region 5 (348); Laguna University in Region 4 (311); Makilala Institute of Science and Technology in Region 12 (288); Passi City College in Region 66 (282) and Ligao Community College in Region 5 (280).
Responding to De Vera’s instructions, SUCs like the Cagayan State University have given out the stipends of students for the first semester.
Meanwhile, Aklan State University President Danilo Abayon said the school has “organized and oriented grantees” under the TES Grantees Organization “will release the stipends right after the Christmas break.
De Vera called on administrators of SUCs and LUCs “to put in place guidance counseling, tutorials and other student support services to ensure that TES grantees will be able to complete their degrees.”
RA 10931 was signed into law by Duterte in August last year, and was implemented starting this academic year with a 140-billion allocation.