CHED: 2 million Filipino students benefited from free college education law

Over two million Filipino students benefited from the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act signed into law under the Duterte administration, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) said Tuesday.

CHED Chairman Prospero de Vera III made the announcement during Day 2 of the Duterte Legacy Summit which touts the accomplishments of the outgoing administration of President Rodrigo Duterte.

De Vera said that of this number, 1.97 million students in 220 state and local universities and colleges availed of free tuition and miscellaneous fees.

On the other hand, 364,168 students benefited from the Tertiary Education Subsidy and Tulong Dunong Program also provided under the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education law.

Likewise, de Vera pointed out that the regions with the highest poverty incidence had the most number of beneficiaries for the Tertiary Education Subsidy and Tulong Dunong Program.

The Bangsamoro region, with the highest poverty incidence as of the first semester of 2021 at 39.4%, has 17,021 beneficiaries for the Tertiary Education Subsidy and Tulong Dunong Program during the same period.

Region 13 or Caraga, with a poverty incidence of 31%, had 21,172 beneficiaries.

Region 9 or Zamboanga Peninsula (30.9%), Region 8 or Eastern Visayas (28.9%), Region 12 or Soccsckargen  (27.1%), and Region7 or Central Visayas (26.8%) round up the top six regions with the most beneficiaries.

Region 12 had 43,360, while Region 7 had 25,995 beneficiaries.

Region 8, for its part, had 21,389 beneficiaries while Region 9 had 18,295.

"There is a direct correlation between poverty incidence and the number of grantees. This shows that clearly, this is an anti-poverty program," de Vera said in closing. —KG, GMA News