Escudero seeks passage of free college entrance examinations bill

Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero on Sunday appealed to his colleagues to pass a bill that would make college entrance exams free for qualified students, which he said would benefit “thousands” of poor yet deserving Filipinos.

Escudero was calling for the passage of the Free College Entrance Examinations bill, as some entrance examinations were equivalent to a day’s minimum wage. For numerous families, taking the exam would mean forgoing food.

“For the poor, this is not a free ride for the whole college experience. It does not swing the school portals open. It merely allows them a foot on the door,” Escudero said.

“Thus, only the truly impoverished will be granted the privilege… No family should starve for a day because food money has been traded for an examination fee.”

Under the proposed measure, private Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) will have to waive entrance examination fees for graduating high school students who meet the qualifications — a natural-born Filipino citizen; part of the top 10% of the graduating class, and must belong to a family with a combined household income below the poverty threshold.

Also qualified are students who belong to a family with an income that cannot afford to provide for their minimum basic needs of food, health, education, housing, and other essential amenities of life, as certified by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

“As it would only apply to a small segment of exam takers, income foregone can be recouped by other takers,” Escudero said.

“And when qualified takers do proceed to enroll in the school, then the school’s small investment will yield a higher return through tuition paid. It can be seen as a marketing device that can lure potential enrollees,” he added.

Escudero sponsored the proposed measure, which was also authored by Senators Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., Mark Villar, Manuel “Lito” Lapid, Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go, Raffy Tulfo, and Sherwin Gatchalian. — DVM, GMA Integrated News