- Rep. Jude Acidre of Tingog Party-list unveiled a transformative higher education agenda before the House of Representatives.
- Key reforms include amendments to Republic Act 10931 (TES), a student welfare bill, and public-private sector complementarity.
- Measures aim to expand support for poor students, reduce dropouts, and realize President Marcos Jr.’s vision of a college or TESDA graduate in every family.
IN a key address before the House of Representatives, Tingog Party-list Rep. Jude Acidre, co-chairman of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (Edcom 2) and chairman of the House Committee on Higher and Technical Education, outlined a transformative agenda to address systemic challenges in Philippine higher education.
Acidre is championing three priority measures. First are amendments to Republic Act 10931, particularly the Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES). He raised an alarming decrease in TES assistance to the very poor households, from 75 percent in 2018 down to a mere 31 percent in 2022. Of 749,204 qualified students enrolled in school year (SY) 2022-2023, only 160,032 received assistance by SY 2023-2024. The amendments aim to ensure automatic TES qualification of Senior High School graduates of 4Ps families and the poorest households, as long as they are accepted in higher education institutions.
The second step is an extensive bill on student support and well-being. Apart from tuition, Acidre added that 25 percent of the dropouts mention disengagement and 44 percent are forced to work because of poverty. The proposal seeks to implement flexible routes, supporting services, and employability schemes.
Lastly, he called on legislation to institutionalize complementarity among public and private schools, acknowledging each's different roles in the production of diverse professionals who are essential to the country's development. Acidre cited that such efforts are central to realizing President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s ambition for all Filipino families to have a college or Technical Education And Skills Development Authority graduate.
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IN a major speech to the House of Representatives, Tingog Party-list Rep. Jude Acidre, Edcom 2 co-chairman and chairman of the House Committee on Higher and Technical Education, presented a revolutionary agenda for fixing systemic problems in Philippine higher education.
Acidre is leading the campaign for three priority measures. First are the amendments to Republic Act 10931, specifically the Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES). He raised a disturbing plunge in TES assistance to the poorest families, from 75 percent in 2018 to a mere 31 percent in 2022. Out of 749,204 qualified learners during school year (SY) 2022-2023, only 160,032 received assistance up to SY 2023-2024. The proposed amendments aim to ensure automatic TES qualification for Senior High School graduates of 4Ps families and the poor families, as long as they are accepted in higher education institutions.
The second is an omnibus bill on student welfare and assistance. Aside from tuition, Acidre pointed out that 25 percent of those who dropped out indicate disengagement and 44 percent work because they are poor. The proposal seeks to implement flexible tracks, support programs, and employability schemes.
Lastly, he called on legislation to implement complementarity between the public and private sectors to take into account their respective roles in creating varied professionals needed for national progress. Acidre asserted that such initiatives are crucial to making President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s vision of having every Filipino family producing a college or Technical Education And Skills Development Authority graduate a reality.
