Duterte signs free SUC tuition bill into law

President Rodrigo Duterte has decided to sign into law a measure that would provide free tuition in state universities and colleges.

Senior Deputy Executive Secretary Menardo Guevarra made the announcement on Friday during the Mindanao Hour held at Conrad Manila.

"I am pleased to announce that last night, August 3, 2017, the President signed into law the enrolled bill," he said.

Gueverra said that when the Congress sent the bill to Malacañang, there were a lot of discussions because of its heavy budgetary implications, but Duterte's will to provide free higher education to the public prevailed.

"But free tertiary education in state universities and colleges is a very strong pillar and cornerstone of the President's social development policy," he said.

"So he weighed everything and came to the conclusion that the long-term benefits that will be derived from a well-developed tertiary education on the part of the citizenry will definitely outweigh any short-term budget challenges... If there's a will, there's a way," he added.

Guevarra explained that the law only compels the government to subsidize free tuition and other fees. Miscellaneous fees such as allowances for books and boarding should be covered by the Unified Student Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education.

“As far as I know those are the only mandatory provisions of the bill for now. The free tuition and other fees. Other fees would refer to something like library fees, ID fees, laboratory fees, and stuff like that,” he said.

“Now as to the subsidy for related educational expenses, that is something to be processed by the UniFAST board which is supposed to have a system of priority. In other words, 'yung mga talagang nangangailangan. The bottom 20 percent will be prioritized in terms of subsidy for educational-related expenses,” he added.

Malacañang has yet to provide the number of the new Republic Act and the copy of the signed law.

Budget

Gueverra told reporters after the briefing that Commission on Higher Education pegged the budget for the mandatory provisions of the law at around P16 billion.

"P16 billion, I think, is manageable," he said.

Presidential Communication Operations Office Assistant Secretary Marie Banaag on Thursday said Duterte would listen to his economic managers' opinions on the bill.

But economic managers earlier said the government could not afford the measure.

Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno said the government would need P100 billion to provide free tuition in state universities and colleges, but Guevarra said CHED thought otherwise.

“The CHED thinks otherwise. The P100-billion estimate of the DBM seems to be on the very high side because that is on the basis on the assumption that all aspects of the free tuition bill will be implemented all at the same time,” he said.

Banaag also pointed out that the government had to spend on a lot of things, particularly on the rehabilitation of Marawi City after it was attacked by pro-ISIS Maute group in May and on the repatriation of overseas Filipino workers.

"Maraming gastos, so nire-reconsider din ng ating Pangulo," she said.

Guevarra said that under the bill, Congress would make the necessary appropriations to fund the measure.

"During the budget deliberations, many things can still happen. Certain adjustments can be made so possibly a reallocation maybe done," he said. —KG, GMA News