A PARTY-LIST lawmaker has urged the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to reconsider its earlier proposal to scrap the “study now, pay later” program despite its low repayment rate, it was learned on Monday.
According to Rep. Raymond Palatino of Kabataan party-list, the Study-Now-Pay-Later Program—which is currently saddled with a poor repayment rate of one to three percent—has helped a lot of poor students finish college, and for that reason should not be dropped.
Those who need to pay should not be asked to do so, Palatino said, because the government has an obligation to offer free tuition to all Filipinos in order to give them the chance to have a better future.
Instead, CHED should work with government financial institutions to improve access to education, he added.
The Higher Education commission gave assurances that it would look into the proposal, the legislator said.
Earlier, Rep. Juan Edgardo Angara of Aurora province, the chairman of the House Committee on Higher and Technical Education, said that the program needed to be reassessed and strengthened so that it could be more responsive to the needs of college students.
He pointed out that the Philippines suffered from a depressingly low loan repayment—less than 2 percent to 3 percent.
That percentage is far below that of Hong Kong (100 percent), South Korea (81 percent) and China (79 percent), according to a 2003 United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization study.
“One of the reasons for this miserable turnout is the lack of sanctions [on] defaulters and their guarantors,” Angara said.
Out of the five countries (including the Philippines) covered by the study, China, Hong Kong and South Korea have imposed heavy penalties like publishing the names of defaulters and taking legal action against them, he added.
Though possessing the power to impose legal sanctions, the fourth country, Thailand, did not aggressively implement these on erring borrowers
Consequently, the Southeast Asian kingdom registered a low loan repayment rate of 21 percent. –Sammy Martin, Reporter, Manila Times
September 18 –
International Equal Pay Day
“Increase wages now,
more than other cost items.
For widespread, practical equality!”
Invoke Article 33 of the ILO Constitution
against the military junta in Myanmar
to carry out the recommendations of the 2021 ILO Commission of Inquiry
against serious violations of protocols of
Forced Labour and Freedom of Association.
Accept the National Unity Government (NUG)
of Myanmar. Reject Military!
#WearMask #WashHands
#Report Corruption #SearchPosts #TakePicturesVideos
October –
Monthly Observances:
Industry and Commerce Safety Month
National Statistics Month
Local Government Month
Consumer Welfare Month
Cooperative Month
National Quality and Productivity Improvement Month
National Health and Wellness Tourism Month
National Indigenous Peoples Month
Weekly Observances:
Week 1: Elderly Filipino Week
Week 2: National Health Education Week
Local Government Week
National Mental Health Week
October 17-23:
National Week for Overcoming Extreme Poverty
October 18 – 24:
United Nations Week
Last Week:
Nurses’ Week
Consumers’ Protection Week
Week of the 4th Sunday:
Barrio Farmers’ Week
Daily Observances:
First Monday (Oct 4): Universal Children’s Day i
n the Philippines
Oct 5: National Teachers’ Day
Oct 10: Local Government Day
Third Thursday (Oct 14): Conflict Resolution Day
Oct 21: Tenants’ Emancipation day
Oct 24: United Nations Day
Oct 29: National Indigenous People’s Thanksgiving Day
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