Budget delay affects senior high school voucher program

MANILA, Philippines — The delay in the passage of the 2019 budget has delayed the implementation of the senior high school voucher application for the coming school year.

The Department of Education (DepEd) has yet to open the application for the voucher program, it said yesterday, as it is still waiting for the passage of the 2019 budget.

The DepEd said the program is short by P5.9 billion as the 2018 budget, which is currently being reenacted, only appropriated P14.4 billion for the voucher program in private senior high schools.

The budget requirement for the program this year as proposed in the national expenditure program is P20.3 billion.

“In view of this, the application for the senior high school voucher program for school year 2019-2020 is yet to be opened pending the issuance of the 2019 budget,” the agency said.

The DepEd, however, noted that the application is only for Grade 10 (junior high school) completers enrolled private schools.

It said that all Grade 10 completers in public schools, state and local universities and colleges and those in private schools but are already beneficiaries of the Education Service Contracting program no longer need to apply.

“These automatic voucher recipients shall be accommodated in the program upon enrolment in any senior high school voucher program-participating school,” it said.

Implemented in 2016, the program provides qualified students with vouchers to cover the cost of their senior high school education in private schools and state, and local universities and colleges.

Voucher recipients will receive a subsidy of as much as P22,500 per year to cover their tuition and other school fees.

The amount of the subsidy will depend on the category and location of the school where the student will enroll in.