Free college education awaits Filipino youth

MANILA, Philippines — President Duterte fulfilled this year one of his campaign promises in the education sector: free college education for Filipinos.

Millions of college students in government-funded higher education institutions (HEIs) are expected to benefit once Republic Act 10931, or the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act, takes full effect starting next academic year.

The measure, signed into law by Duterte in August, will remove tuition and other fees in all state and local universities and colleges (SUCs/LUCs) as well as in institutions accredited by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.

Commission on Higher Education (CHED) chair Patricia Licuanan said the passage of the law is a groundbreaking development in the higher education sector.

“Starting 2018, all tuition and other school fees will be covered, and this will apply to all students in SUCs, LUCs and technical and vocational institutions by the government,” Licuanan said during an education summit recently.

“It also has a special tertiary education subsidy as well as the student loan program. We are looking forward to this law that will make a real difference for access to education in the country,” she added.

Licuanan said almost P30 billion would be allocated to SUCs, LUCs and technical-vocation institutions next year for the implementation of the program.

Around P21 billion will fund the tertiary education subsidy that will benefit as many as 540,000 students in private HEIs, while another P54 million is for the implementation of the loan program.

The free college education program expands the free tuition policy implemented by the government in SUCs and select medical schools this academic year.

Duterte signed the law despite concerns from his economic managers that the government does not have enough funds to cover the free college education program.

Power struggle, new officials

The power struggle that hounded the CHED leadership in the latter part of 2016 continued to hound the agency this year, with Licuanan gaining an upper hand in January following the dismissal of executive director Julito Vitriolo.

Vitriolo, who called for Licuanan’s removal as CHED chair, was dismissed by the Office of the Ombudsman for his alleged failure to investigate an alleged diploma mill case at the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila.

Duterte appointed Karol Mark Yee, former head of the K-12 transition program, as Vitriolo’s replacement.

Later this year, Vitriolo tried to return to his post after the Court of Appeals (CA) reversed his dismissal in August.

After days of standoff, Vitriolo was forced to vacate his office again after Malacañang said the CA order was not yet final and executory.

Aside from Yee, Duterte appointed Lilian de las Llagas and Perfecto Alibin to the five-member commission chaired by Licuanan.

De las Llagas is the former secretary to the Board of Regents of the University of the Philippines.

Alibin is the former president of the University of Southeastern Philippines in Davao City.

The two other commissioners, J. Prospero de Vera and Ronald Adamat, are also appointees of Duterte.

Drug testing, ROTC

Also this year, CHED issued a policy allowing HEIs to conduct mandatory drug testing on college students.

The memorandum, which drew flak from various sectors, stated that the conduct of drug testing is a valid exercise of the academic freedom of the education institutions.

CHED stressed the need for a thorough consultation with students and other stakeholders before such a policy is implemented.

While the conduct of mandatory drug testing for college students is left to the discretion of schools, the agency directed all HEIs to conduct regular random drug testing as required by the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act.

It reminded schools to ensure the confidentiality of the results, whether a student tests positive or negative, and that they provide non-discriminatory intervention services for the students.

Meanwhile, Congress has yet to approve the proposed legislation that will require senior high school students to undergo Reserved Officers Training Corps (ROTC).

Duterte approved in February a proposal of the Department of National Defense to amend the existing National Service Training Program Act of 2001, which made ROTC optional for college students.

Various groups are opposing the proposal, citing the long history of abuse tied to the ROTC program.

UP: New president, Rody honoris causa

At the University of the Philippines, newly installed president Danilo Concepcion was faced with a challenge after various groups opposed the university’s offer to confer Duterte with an honorary law degree.

Those who opposed the offer, which UP defended as a tradition, said Duterte did not deserve the recognition, particularly in light of human rights issues surrounding his administration.

Duterte declined the offer and the invitation for him to serve as commencement speaker at UP Diliman’s graduation rites in June.

Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno, professor emeritus at the UP School of Economics, served as graduation speaker.

Arman Ali Ghodsinia, a 22-year-old graduate who traces his roots to Marawi, delivered the valedictory remarks.

Concepcion, dean of the college of law before he was elected UP president, vowed to turn UP into a compassionate university serving the nation.

“Compassion should be the cause that everyone would adhere to: compassion for one another, compassion for our profession, compassion for the university and compassion for our nation and society,” he said during turnover rites in February.

Among his proposals is the establishment of a medical complex in Quezon City that will feature a medical school, a second Philippine General Hospital and a cancer research institute.