Tuition hike irreversible, Ched declares

THE Commission on Higher Education said on Monday that the approved tuition hike of 339 higher learning institutions is “irreversible” despite threats of protests from parents and students.

CHED Executive Director Julito Vitriolo said in a radio interview that the schools met the commission’s requirements for the implementation of a tuition hike, one of which is consultation with various stakeholders.

He said that in March this year, around 390 schools applied for a tuition increase, 339 of which were given the green light by CHED.

He added that in most tuition increases, 70 percent of the additional money goes to teachers and employees’ benefits, while 20 percent goes to maintenance of school facilities.

Party-list lawmakers on Monday urged college and university owners to reconsider their decision to increase tuition this school year as this will burden hard-up parents.

According to Citizens Battle Against Corruption Rep. Joel Villanueva, the school owners should be considerate, given the income status of most parents.

He said that parents engaged in farming have suffered the brunt of the dry spell and its adverse effects, and any increase in school fees would certainly deprive them of sending their children for a college education.

“I appeal to school owners to please defer their planned tuition increase and sympathize with the hardships of the parents. It can be done by just lowering their net profit,” said Villanueva.

But Vitriolo said students who could no longer cope with the tuition hike could seek assistance from CHED, through the government’s “Study Now, Pay Later” program.

However, the government screens students who would benefit from the program.

“There are requirements, but we also give importance to the income levels of the students’ families,” Vitriolo said in Filipino.

Weighing in, Anakpawis Rep. Joel Maglunsod stressed that the Fifteenth Congress must push for the further reduction of the monthly deductions of public school teachers to enable them to get a bigger take-home pay and improve their standard of living.–Francis Earl A. Cueto with report by Jomar Canlas, Manila Times