By Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza, Reporter

A PUSH to tighten eligibility for free college education in the Philippines amid a tight state budget risks keeping poor families in poverty, according to the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).

A high dropout rate does not justify repealing the law on free education, CHED Chairman Prospero E. de Vera II told the ABS-CBN News Channel on Tuesday, noting that many college students drop out because they don’t have money for school.

He blamed the “inability of students to have money for their day-to-day expenses” for the dropout rate, which was the highest among third- and fourth-year college students.

Many Filipino students also stopped schooling amid a global coronavirus pandemic, Mr. De Vera said.

“Shouldn’t the government, therefore, provide poor students with the capability to continue schooling?” he asked. “It’s also a function of the lack of support from the government.”

Finance Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno earlier sought a review of the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act, which was enacted in 2017 after years of lobbying by student movements.

Mr. Diokno, who was the Philippines’ Budget secretary when the law was passed under then President Rodrigo R. Duterte, said the program is unsustainable and a waste of public funds because of the high dropout rate.

Data presented by CHED during a House of Representatives budget hearing earlier this month showed that 37% of college students who entered the academic year 2020–2021 dropped out or temporarily stopped schooling.

Mr. De Vera, who was also the CHED head of the past government, said the dropout rate is high not just in the Philippines but in many countries as well. “Therefore, you cannot connect the dropout rate to free higher education.”

Mr. Diokno also cited the need to filter beneficiaries through a nationwide entrance test.

But Mr. De Vera said it would be “disastrous” if the proposed nationwide test would be patterned after the University of the Philippines College Admission Test (UPCAT), which he said has favored students with access to review centers.

“Those who pass the UPCAT are students coming from relatively richer families from urban areas who have the money to do review classes, who are more prepared to pass the admission test,” he said. “Is that the admission test we want in this country?”

Mr. De Vera said it is a state obligation to boost poor families’ access to education, including indigenous groups.

“We have a responsibility as a country to take steps to make sure that we bring them to the mainstream,” he said. “We give them hope so that they will not fight the government, so that insurgency will be reduced.”

He also said free college education could boost the Philippine workforce. It also has the highest return on investment at 17% compared with 10% for elementary and 7% for high school, he added, citing World Bank data.

“The message there is if you want a workforce that is competitive, the government must invest in higher education now,” Mr. De Vera said.

Mr. Diokno’s proposal came months after the government of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. sought a review of the country’s pension system for the military and police.

The government is looking for more sources of revenue to fund its ambitious infrastructure projects amid a ballooning national debt, which is expected to hit P15.84 trillion next year.

But the P50-billion budget for free college education is less than 1% of next year’s national budget, Mr. De Vera said.

“Infrastructure is, in fact, P890 billion. This is only P50 billion, to have education that emancipates the poor from the bondage of poverty,” Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus B. Rodriguez told his colleagues earlier.

“The rising dropout rate is not because of free college education but rather, because of its inadequacy,” David Michael M. San Juan, a professor at De La Salle University and convener of Professionals for a Progressive Economy, said in Facebook Messenger chat.

“Despite the fact that state universities and colleges are now tuition-free, students still have to pay for so many things like books, dormitories and uniforms,” he added.

He said many state university students are forced to drop out due to the worsening economic situation of their families.

The government has set the poverty threshold at P12,030 a month for a family of five, which is equivalent to P79 daily for each person.

“With the government’s laughably low poverty threshold, it is very possible that if the government imposes a filtering system, very few students will be able to comply,” Mr. David said. “Many really poor families are not considered poor under the government’s low threshold.” 

‘NO-COLLECTION POLICY’
Also on Tuesday, Senator Sherwin T. Gatchalian sought a review of the law to ensure there are enough classrooms and facilities to accommodate more students.

“I am committed to ensuring the law’s efficient implementation and funding so that it can benefit more students,” senator, who heads the Senate education committee, said in a statement.

Mr. Gatchalian said a screening test as proposed by the Finance chief would be redundant since state universities already have their own admission exams.

“At this point, the urgent concern for the government is expanding the capacity of our public colleges and universities,” he said.

Meanwhile, Senator Rafael “Raffy” T. Tulfo has filed a bill that seeks to bar the collection of fees and contributions from students in public elementary and high schools.

“By implementing a no collection policy in public schools, this bill seeks to eliminate the barriers that hinder the enrollment and retention of students,” he said in a statement.

“Families with limited financial means will no longer face out-of-pocket costs associated with sending their children to school, thus promoting inclusivity and equal opportunities in education,” he said, citing his Senate Bill 2420.

He said the measure seeks to uphold the constitutional right to free public education in elementary and high school. — with JVDO