Underprivileged students to get discounts under Senate measure

Senator Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara has filed a bill granting underprivileged students a five-percent discount on food establishments, medicines, textbooks and school supplies, tuition fees, miscellaneous and other school fees.

Under Senate Bill 134, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Local Government batted for the granting of discounts on basic and education services to underprivileged students in all levels, including those enrolled in technical vocational institutions.

“Not all deserving and underprivileged students who were able to get scholarships, grants or loans get to finish their education because they lack the financial capacity to spend for their basic needs and other expenses related to their schooling,” he said in filing the bill.

Angara, who chaired the House Committee on Higher Education when he was still a representative of Aurora, said he filed the bill to ease students’ financial woes and help them cope with the high cost of education as well as daily school expenses.

He said that aside from granting discounts on basic services, such as food and medicine, the proposed Underprivileged Students’ Discount Act of 2016 seeks to give underprivileged students discounts on educational expenses, such as tuition, miscellaneous and other school fees, including books and school supplies.

“Considering that we now have a law giving discounts to senior citizens, it is high time that we consider the plight of our underprivileged students who are our nation’s future,” he said.

SB 134 tasks the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) to determine the qualified tertiary or college and post-secondary tech-voc beneficiaries.

Not covered by the bill are underprivileged students who fail to finish the course, or have stopped their schooling, or even those who were previously convicted of any crime.

The bill also further provides for tax incentives to establishments that would grant discounts to underprivileged students, while establishments that would refuse to grant discounts would be penalized with one to fourweek suspension of their license to operate and would be fined with not less than P20,000 but not more than P50,000.

“If passed into law, this Senate bill will definitely encourage students from financially-struggling families to pursue their dreams by finishing their college education or their vocational trainings,” Angara said.