TACLOBAN CITY — Students from the country’s poorest households, particularly beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), stand to gain greater access to higher education assistance following the approval of proposed reforms to the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act (UAQTEA).

Tingog party-list Rep. Jude Acidre, chairperson of the House Committee on Higher and Technical Education, led the House contingent in approving the bicameral conference committee report on the measure that seeks to strengthen and expand the government’s tertiary education subsidy programs.

The proposed amendments focus on improving the implementation of the Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES) by ensuring that financial assistance is directed to students from poor and disadvantaged families.

The measure also expands TES coverage and creates a new Private Education Assistance Program for qualified students enrolled in priority courses offered by private higher education institutions and technical-vocational schools.

According to Acidre, the reforms were prompted by findings of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II), which showed that TES benefits had increasingly shifted away from the poorest sectors.

Data cited by the lawmaker revealed that the percentage of TES beneficiaries coming from the poorest households dropped from 70.73 percent in 2018 to 22.89 percent in 2022. Meanwhile, only 1.23 percent of senior high school graduates from 4Ps families were able to access TES assistance as first-year beneficiaries during Academic Year 2024-2025.

Under the reconciled version of the bill, students belonging to 4Ps households will receive top priority in the allocation of TES benefits. The measure also introduces stronger monitoring and evaluation systems, improved grievance mechanisms, and enhanced reporting requirements to promote transparency, accountability, and efficient delivery of educational assistance.

Acidre described the proposed amendments as a significant step toward ensuring that government-funded educational programs remain accessible to those who need them most.
“This reform strengthens the government’s commitment to making higher education more equitable and responsive to the needs of Filipino students, especially those from marginalized sectors,” he said.

The measure now awaits ratification by both chambers of Congress before it is transmitted to the President for approval.

(LIZBETH ANN A.ABELLA)

TACLOBAN CITY — The provincial government of Northern Samar has partnered with the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and other key agencies to establish a Local Infrastructure Learning Hub (LIL Hub), a new initiative aimed at strengthening infrastructure governance and improving the quality and safety of public works in the province.

Governor Harris Ongchuan led the signing of a memorandum of agreement (MOA) on June 4, formalizing the province’s commitment to the program alongside national government agencies and development partners.

The LIL Hub is designed to promote collaboration among agencies involved in infrastructure planning, implementation, and monitoring. It also seeks to enhance the capacity of local government units (LGUs) through shared technical expertise, training, and knowledge exchange.

Under the agreement, partner institutions will provide technical support, resource persons, and trainers for capacity-building activities, as well as assist in the formulation of infrastructure audit plans to ensure the sustainability of the program.

Governor Ongchuan underscored the importance of building resilient infrastructure, especially in light of increasingly severe weather conditions affecting the region.

“We have seen how typhoons get stronger each year, so it is vital that we build quality, safer roads, bridges and government facilities for our constituents. This MOA ensures that the quality of our infrastructures are looked into,” he said.

The governor also expressed full support from the provincial government, noting the active participation of key offices such as the Provincial Engineering Office, Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO), and Provincial Health Office.

DILG Northern Samar Provincial Director Geraldine Maquelabit, who spearheaded the initiative, emphasized that infrastructure quality is directly linked to public safety and good governance.

“The LIL Hub is a response to the challenging times, a commitment to protect lives. For good governance is also about safe buildings and infrastructures—the biggest legacy that government leaves to the next generation,” she said.

The MOA was also signed by representatives from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) First and Second District Engineering Offices, Department of Education (DepEd) Northern Samar, Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), University of Eastern Philippines (UEP), and the Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers (PICE) Northern Samar Chapter.

Among the signatories were DPWH First District Engineer Engr. Alvin Ignacio, DPWH Second District Engineer Atty. Eric Sabong, DepEd Assistant Schools Division Superintendent Dr. Rey Bulawan, BFP OIC Provincial Fire Marshal Darwin Orsolino, PICE Northern Samar Chapter representative Engr. Felix Licas, and a representative from UEP.

Officials said the LIL Hub will serve as a platform for innovation, coordination, and improved standards in infrastructure development, aiming to strengthen accountability and ensure safer, more resilient public facilities across Northern Samar.

(ROEL T. AMAZONA)

A powerful offshore magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck the southern Philippines early Monday, killing at least four people, injuring more than 200 others, and damaging buildings and infrastructure in a major southern city. The quake also triggered a small tsunami that sent waves up to 1 meter (3 feet) onto nearby coastal areas.

Authorities said the quake damaged structures, including a key access bridge in a large city in Mindanao, while aftershocks continued to rattle the region.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. urged residents in coastal and low-lying areas to move to higher ground as tsunami warnings were issued across parts of the Philippines and extended to nearby Indonesia and Malaysia.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center later said the immediate tsunami threat had largely passed about five hours after the quake struck at 7:37 a.m. local time. However, it cautioned that sea levels could continue to fluctuate for several hours and advised residents to remain alert and follow local guidance.

The quake, the strongest to hit the country this year, was centered offshore about 13 kilometers (8 miles) southwest of General Santos, a city of more than 700,000 people and a key hub for tuna processing and trade in southern Mindanao.

Officials said at least three people were killed and 130 injured in General Santos alone, where several small buildings partially collapsed and others, including a major bridge, developed large cracks. Another fatality was reported in Davao Oriental province, according to the Department of Health.

Emergency officials reported widespread panic across schools, with more than 100 students in several areas sustaining bruises or fainting during morning assemblies.

The international airport in General Santos was temporarily closed following the quake, leading to the cancellation of 17 domestic flights, according to civil aviation authorities.
Local media reported that a small commercial building housing a provincial radio station partially collapsed, though staff evacuated without injuries. Debris from other buildings also fell onto parked vehicles.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said the quake was caused by movement along the Cotabato Trench at a depth of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles). Its director, Teresito Bacolcol, warned that additional damage was expected as assessments continued.
Waves of about 1 meter were recorded in parts of Sultan Kudarat and Sarangani, while smaller sea level changes were detected in other coastal provinces. Indonesia reported an 83-centimeter (2.7-foot) wave off Sulawesi.

The U.S. Geological Survey recorded aftershocks as strong as magnitude 6.5, while noting some variation in early readings, including a different depth estimate for the main quake.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said minor sea fluctuations could also affect parts of Papua New Guinea and other areas of the western Pacific, though no tsunami threat was issued for Hawaii.

The Philippines lies along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” a seismically active zone where earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are common. The country is also regularly struck by about 20 typhoons and tropical storms each year, making it one of the world’s most disaster-prone nations.           (FROM THE WIRES)