TACLOBAN CITY — Tingog Party-list Rep. Jude Acidre welcomed the enactment of a new law strengthening government assistance for disadvantaged students, saying it would help ensure that financial support for tertiary education reaches learners who need it most.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed Republic Act No. 12325, which strengthens the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act, at Malacañang on September 4.
Acidre, who chairs the House Committee on Higher and Technical Education, said the law introduces a clearer system for prioritizing beneficiaries of the Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES), with learners from households enrolled in the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) given top priority.
The law also creates a Private Education Assistance Program for qualified disadvantaged students pursuing priority programs in private higher education institutions and technical-vocational institutions.
According to Acidre, the reforms address gaps in the implementation of free higher education by directing government assistance toward students based on their financial needs and circumstances.
“This is what universal access should mean: not simply free education, but a system where poverty, geography, or family circumstance does not determine how far a young Filipino can go,” he said.
The measure is intended to expand educational opportunities for students who may face financial and other barriers to completing tertiary education.
Acidre said the strengthened subsidy system would provide disadvantaged learners with more meaningful pathways to pursue and complete higher education and technical-vocational training.
The enactment of RA 12325 forms part of the government’s continuing efforts to improve access to tertiary education by complementing free tuition with targeted assistance for students who require additional support.
(JOEY A. GABIETA, LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)
