RA 10931

Fellow senators defend Sen. Bam’s role in free college law

Several senators came out to defend the important role of re-electionist Sen. Bam Aquino in the passage of the free college law.

Senators Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, Joel Villanueva and Franklin Drilon all stressed the importance of Sen. Bam’s hard work in passing the landmark that is being enjoyed by millions of Filipino students.

It was Sen. Lacson who first recognized Sen. Bam’s work via a tweet, saying the young senator should be given credit for the passage of the free college law as he was the one who defended it from the thorough questioning of his fellow senators.

In an interview, Sen. Lacson lauded Sen. Bam for his determination in passing the Free College Law as its principal sponsor.

“Kapag napag-uusapan ang libreng matrikula sa kolehiyo, ang unang naiisip ko, si Senador Bam Aquino. Alam kong siya ang nagtiyagang itulak ito sa Senado bilang author at principal sponsor ng Free Tuition Law,” Sen. Lacson said.

Sen. Drilon, for his part, said Sen. Bam was instrumental in making the free college law a reality to give the country’s youth a chance at a bright future.

“He’s a man who is sincerely concerned for our welfare- especially sa future ng kabataan,” said Sen. Drilon, who also recognized Sen. Bam as a dependable ally of the Filipino people in the Senate.

Sen. Villanueva also recognized Sen. Bam’s determination in pushing for the passage of the free college law.

Sa pagsusulong po ng Free Tuition Law, naging major major kasangga po natin si Senator Bam Aquino,” said Sen. Villanueva, adding that Sen. Bam deserves a second term in the Senate.

“Palaging handang magsilbi sa bayan. Iyan po si Senator Bam Aquino. Ibalik po natin siya sa Senado,” added Sen. Villanueva.

If re-elected, Sen. Bam has committed to push for the enactment of his Trabaho Center Bill, which seeks to address the problems of jobs mismatch and unemployment in the country.

The bill seeks to establish “Trabaho Centers” or Job Placement Offices (JPOs) in public high schools and state universities and colleges (SUCs) to address the skills mismatch and ensure employability of students upon graduation.

Duterte, Sen. Lacson acknowledge Sen. Bam’s role in passage of Free College Law

Re-electionist Sen. Bam Aquino thanked President Duterte and Sen. Panfilo Lacson for acknowledging his role in the passage of the landmark Free College Law even as he expressed willingness to help the government for the welfare of poor Filipinos.

“Salamat at kinilala ni Presidente ang tinrabaho natin para maisabatas ang Libreng Kolehiyo,” said Sen. Bam, who pushed for the passage of the Free College Law as principal sponsor during his time as chairman of the Committee on Education in the 17th Congress.

“Basta para sa taumbayan lalo na kung makakatulong sa mahihirap, handa tayong makipagtulungan tulad dito sa batas ng Libreng Kolehiyo,” added Sen. Bam, who also expressed gratitude to Sen. Lacson for recognizing his effort.

Sen. Bam’s reaction came after President Duterte mentioned in his speech in Koronadal City on Tuesday that the senator helped in the crafting of the landmark legislation.

“In fairness to him (Sen. Bam). Nagtulong siya in crafting the law,” Duterte said in his speech.

Duterte’s pronouncement solidified the statement of Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, who reiterated the important role that Sen. Bam played in the passage of the Free College Law during Thursday’s media interview.

“Siya naman talaga yung nag-labor diyan para maipasa. Siya talaga nagtulak so, I corrected (them),” said Lacson, referring to his tweet giving credit to Sen. Bam for the passage of the important legislation.

“Ang daming claimants na nagki-claim ng credits. So, sabi ko, to set the record straight, si Sen. Bam iyan,” said Sen. Lacson, adding that Sen. Bam was the one who defended the legislation from scrutiny of his fellow lawmakers.

Sen. Ping lauds Sen. Bam’s determination in pursuing free college law for poor Filipinos

Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson lauded Sen. Bam Aquino’s hard work to make the free college law a reality, giving poor Filipino families a chance to have a bright future.

“Kapag napapag-usapan ang libreng matrikula sa kolehiyo, ang unang naiisip ko, si Senador Bam Aquino. Alam kong siya ang nagtiyagang itulak ito sa Senado bilang author at Principal Sponsor ng Free Tuition Law,” said Lacson in an interview.

“According to Sen. Lacson, Sen. Bam worked hard for the passage of the law as its principal sponsor and co-author, defending it from scrutiny of his fellow lawmakers.

“Iyong pagiging author, susulat mo lang yun, ipa-file mo. Pero ang magde-defend, iyan ang napakahirap, kasi napakaraming pilosopo kaming kasama doon, tatanungin ka ng kaliit-liitang detalye ng panukalang batas, o yung bill, na dinedepensa mo,” added Lacson, who also supports the re-election bid of Sen. Bam.

Sen. Bam said the free college law gives Filipinos, especially the poor, an opportunity to obtain a better life through education.

“Ang libreng kolehiyo ay isang daaan para magkaroon ng magandang buhay at umangat ang kalagayan ng ating mga kababayan, lalo na ang mahihirap,” said Sen. Bam, who worked for law’s passage during his time as chairman of the Committee on Education in the 17th Congress.

Sen. Bam said he pushed for the passage of the free college law after meeting with parents who dream of seeing their kids earn a college degree, but cannot afford to send them to school. 

“Maraming nanay, lalo na iyong mga nakasama ko sa mga Konsultahang Bayan, na nais mapagtapos sa kolehiyo ang kanilang mga anak ngunit kapos sa pera. Ang tanong nila sa akin, ano po ang inyong magagawa para kami’y matulungan,” said Sen. Bam.

“Kaya hiningi natin ang chairmanship of the Committee on Education at pinursige ang batas sa libreng kolehiyo para sa kanilang kapakanan. Ngayon, kahit kapos, makapagtatapos,” Sen. Bam pointed out.

Sen. Bam: Gov’t can fund free college even without TRAIN Law, Duterte being misled by economic managers

Sen. Bam Aquino believes the government can fund free college even without the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law, insisting that President Duterte is being fed wrong information by his economic managers.

“Hindi po totooong walang pagkukunan ng pondo ang gobyerno para sa libreng kolehiyo at ibang serbisyo kung ititigil ang TRAIN Law,” said Sen. Bam, one of four senators who opposed the ratification of the TRAIN Law.

“Mali ang ibinibigay na payo ng economic managers ng gobyerno kay Pangulong Duterte,” added Sen. Bam, principal sponsor of the free college law.

In fact, Sen. Bam said that in 2017, the Senate allocated funds for the first year of implementation of the free college law for 2018, even before the TRAIN Law was passed.

Sen. Bam emphasized that the government economic managers are trying to divert funds for other purposes, based on an earlier pronouncement by Sen. Panfilo Lacson that he has identified around P410.98 billion from the 2019 national budget allotted for pork barrel.

“Sapat ang pondo ng gobyerno para sa mga proyekto. Ang problema, ang ibang pondo, nagagamit sa ibang bagay para sa kapakinabangan ng iilang tao,” said Sen. Bam.

Sen. Bam has been pushing for the suspension of excise tax on fuel under the TRAIN Law, filing the Bawas Presyo sa Petrolyo Bill last May 2018 to help ease the burden of Filipino people on high prices of food and other goods.

Sen. Bam’s  measure seeks to suspend and roll back the excise tax on fuel under the TRAIN Law once the country’s inflation rate exceeds the government’s target for three straight months.

“Tama na po dagdag-pahirap sa mga kababayan nating nalulunod sa taas presyo. Bigyan naman natin ang mamamayan ng ginhawa,” said Sen. Bam.

Sen. Bam welcomes Kris Aquino’s support behind free college law

Sen. Bam Aquino expressed gratitude to his cousin, actress/TV host Kris Aquino, for supporting his push for free college law that would give a better opportunity for Filipino students to have a better life through education.
 
“Nagpapasalamat po ako kay Ate Kris at sa mga kababayan nating naniniwala sa ipinaglalaban natin sa Senado na dapat may oportunidad na makatapos ng kolehiyo ang bawat Pilipino ano man ang kalagayan sa buhay,” said Sen. Bam, principal sponsor of the free college law.
 
Sen. Bam echoed Kris’ statement that education is the best gift to Filipino children, which is now possible through the free college law.
 
“Tama po si Ate Kris, mahalagang pamana sa ating mga anak ang makatapos sila. Dati pangarap lang po ito para sa mga kababayan nating mahirap pero ngayon ay posible na dahil sa Free College Law,” said Sen. Bam.
 
Kris quickly sent a statement after Sen. Bam was asked about his cousin’s support in his re-election bid during a television debate last Sunday.
 
Sen. Bam emphasized that the support of the Filipino people behind the free college law serves as inspiration amid the fake news and black propaganda being thrown his way.
 
“Malaking bagay po ang tiwala ninyo lalo na sa gitna ng kabi-kabilang paninira at fake news na ibinabato sa akin at sa trabaho natin sa Senado,” Sen. Bam pointed out.
 
“Nagpapalakas po ng loob ang suporta ninyo. Inspirasyon po ito na ilaban na tiyaking ang bawat graduate ay magandang trabaho,” he added.
 
As he seeks re-election under the Otso Diretso slate, Sen. Bam said he will work to ensure employment for all graduates and push other education reforms such as improvement of facilities and benefits for teachers.
 
In his almost six years as lawmaker, Sen. Bam has 35 laws to his name.

Sen. Bam: Free college law not affected by re-enacted budget

Sen. Bam Aquino assured that the implementation of the free college law will not be hampered by the re-enacted budget.

“Walang dapat ipangamba ang mga estudyante at mga magulang dahil tiniyak ng Kongreso na mayroong pondo ang libreng kolehiyo, kahit sa ilalim pa ng re-enacted budget o ng 2019 budget,”  said Sen. Bam, principal sponsor of Republic Act 10931 or the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act.

Sen. Bam made the clarification to allay fears of students and parents after different government agencies experience funding issues due to the re-enacted budget.

 “Dahil tuluy-tuloy ang pagpapatupad ng libreng kolehiyo, makatutulong ito para kayanin ng mahihirap na pamilyang Pilipino ang pasanin ng mataas na presyo ng bilihin,” added Sen. Bam, who pushed for the law’s passage during his term as chairman of the Committee on Education.

 Earlier, Sen. Bam called for the full implementation of the free college law in 2019, where students in public universities and colleges won’t have to shell out a single centavo on tuition, miscellaneous and other mandatory fees.

This, after Sen. Bam received a commitment from the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) that it will issue a memorandum prohibiting state universities and colleges (SUCs) from charging mandatory fees.

Sen. Bam is also pushing for the full release of the budget for the Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES) program to student-beneficiaries in both public and private education institutions.

Sen. Bam to CHED: Release full budget for TES program

While he welcomes the Commission on Higher Education’s (CHED) release of around P4.8 billion for its Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES) program, Sen. Bam Aquino said the allocated budget for its full implementation should be distributed immediately to student-beneficiaries in both public and private education institutions.

“I welcome the release of the said amount as it proves the administration’s commitment to implement the program under the law,” said Sen. Bam, principal sponsor of Republic Act 10931 or the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act, which he pushed during his term as chairman of the Committee on Education.

The CHED recently announced the release of P4.8 billion for the TES program under the free higher education law to students in 112 state universities and colleges (SUCs) and 78 local universities and colleges (LUCs).

However, Sen. Bam stressed that the remaining P11.2 billion fund allocated for the TES in the 2018 budget should also be released immediately for the benefit of students under the program.

“Siguraduhin natin na ang buong budget na nakalaan para sa TES ay mailabas sa lalong madaling panahon, kasama na rito ang mga scholarship para sa mga estudyante ng private Higher Education Institutions (HEIs),” added Sen. Bam.

Recently, Sen. Bam convinced the CHED to issue a memorandum prohibiting state universities and colleges (SUCs) from charging mandatory fees.

During the CHED’s budget hearing, Sen. Bam informed the department that several SUCs still collect miscellaneous and other mandatory fees from students, despite the expressed prohibition under Republic Act 10931.

“Sana gawin nating New Year’s resolution ang 100 porsiyentong pagpapatupad ng libreng kolehiyo sa lahat ng state university at college. Dapat hindi na maningil ang SUC ng tuition at mandatory fees sa mga estudyante ngayong 2019,” said Sen. Bam.

Sen. Bam to youth: Libre mangarap, libre na rin mag-kolehiyo!

Sen. Bam Aquino expressed concern over a report that 70 percent of Filipino youths don’t have a dream, urging them to continue hoping and working for a better future.
 
“Libre ang mangarap at, ngayon, libre pa ang kolehiyo,” said Sen. Bam, principal sponsor of Republic Act 10931 or the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act.
 
“Nakakalungkot ang resultang ito lalo na dahil source of inspiration ko ang kabataang Pilipino,” added Sen. Bam, referring to a study by Dream Project PH showing that seven out of 10 Filipino youths don’t have a dream in life.
 
Sen. Bam said the free college law empowers Filipinos to make their dreams come true, as it opens opportunities to better jobs and a better life through education.
 
“Ngayong libre na ang kolehiyo, bukas na ang oportunidad para sa kabataang Pilipino na magkaroon ng magandang kinabukasan,” said Sen. Bam.
 
Passed during Sen. Bam’s time as chairman of the Committee on Education, the law provides free tuition and miscellaneous fees to students in state universities and colleges (SUCs), local universities and colleges (LUCs) and TESDA-run vocational schools. 
 
The law allows students of both public and private college and universities can also apply for scholarship grants and student loans.
 
“Sa batas na ito, hindi hadlang ang kahirapan para maabot ang pangarap. Kahit kapos, siguradong makapagtatapos,” said Sen. Bam.
 
Recently, Sen. Bam got a commitment from the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) that it will fully implement the law, especially when it comes to miscellaneous and mandatory fees.
 
During the CHED budget hearing, CHED chairman Prospero de Vera told Sen. Bam that he will issue a draft memorandum that will clarify and warn SUCs that students should not pay a single centavo to enroll in an SUC, LUC or TESDA-run TVIs.

CHED commits to Sen. Bam 100% compliance to Free College Law

Thanks to Sen. Bam Aquino’s prodding, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) will soon issue a memorandum prohibiting state universities and colleges (SUCs) from charging mandatory fees.
 
“Sa batas natin, bawal nang mangolekta ng mandatory fees ang mga SUC. Dapat ituloy ang laban para sa 100 percent compliance ng mga kolehiyo,” said Sen. Bam during the CHED’s budget hearing.
 
During interpellation of the CHED budget, Sen. Bam expressed his concern that a few SUCs may still collect miscellaneous and other mandatory fees from students, despite the expressed prohibition under Republic Act 10931 or the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act.
 
“Sa pag-iikot natin sa mga SUC, nalalaman naming may balak pa ang ilan na mangolekta ng miscellaneous fees,” said Sen. Bam, principal sponsor of Republic Act 10931 during his term as chairman of the Committee on Education.
 
“Hindi dapat ito nangyayari dahil may batas nang nagsasabi na bawal ang paninigil ng miscellaneous at iba pang mandatory fee,” added Sen. Bam. “Sa batas na ito, sinisiguro na ang kapos, makapagtatapos.”
 
Sen. Bam insisted that the law should be properly enjoyed by students and their families so they can cope with daily expenses amid the high prices of food and other goods.
 
“Halos aabot din sa daan-daang piso ang kinokolektang miscellaneous fees sa mga estudyante, pera na dapat ginagamit nang panggastos ng pamilyang Pilipino na pambili ng pagkain at iba pang pangangailangan,” added Sen. Bam.
 
In response, CHED chairman Prospero de Vera agreed to issue a draft memorandum that will clarify and warn SUCs that students should not pay a single centavo to enroll in an SUC, LUC or TESDA-run TVI
 
In addition, Sen. Bam sought to expand the coverage of the free college law to cover on-the-job training, affiliation fees for nursing students, and other Related Learning Experiences (RLEs). 
 
Sen. Bam also pushed for the better support for SUCs through additional plantilla position for non-teaching personnel, such as security personnel, registrar, guidance counselors, resident ombudsman, among others.
 
The Department of Budget and Management (DBM), for its part, committed and allocated money for this endeavor and was simply waiting for the recommendation from CHED.
 
Sen. Bam said once the CHED gave its recommendation, SUCs can start hiring non-teaching personnel next year.

Sen. Bam insists on refund of 2nd semester tuition and miscellaneous fees for SUC students

While the issuance of the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) for Republic Act 10931 or the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act is considered a milestone, Sen. Bam Aquino said the agency should prioritize the refund for second semester of school year 2017-18.

“Masaya tayo na mayroon nang klarong IRR para sa pagpapatupad nito sa susunod na school year. Pero kailangan pa rin ipaglaban ang refund para sa mga nagbayad ng tuition fee o miscellaneous fees noong 2nd semester,” said Sen. Bam Aquino, principal sponsor and co-author of RA 10931.

In previous interviews, CHED officer-in-charge Prospero de Vera admitted that the original intention was to implement the law in the second semester of school year 2017-18, which is actively being pushed by Sen. Bam.

The CHED OIC also mentioned that they are unable to cover the miscellaneous fees for the 2nd semester of this school year due to legal issues with the budget. 

 However, Sen. Bam challenged this by saying that they consulted and worked with the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), the Legislative Budget Research and Monitoring Office (LBRMO) and CHED to ensure no legal impediments in using the budget to cover tuition and miscellaneous fees for the second semester 2017-2018. 

 “Sapat ang pondo para sa tuition at miscellaneous fees ng 2018, pati na ang kasalukuyang 2nd semester. Napag-usapan na rin ang legality noong budget deliberations. Kaya dapat lang na may refund and mga estudyante,” said Sen. Bam, the former Chairman of the Senate Committee on Education.

 “The CHED should attend a public hearing in the Senate to justify to lawmakers, and especially students and parents, for its refusal to implement the law in the second semester of the current school year,” added Sen. Bam.

The Senate expressed its full support behind the full implementation of the free college law for the second semester of school year 2017-18, when it unanimously adopted Sen. Bam’s Resolution No. 620. However, CHED remains silent on the Senate’s move.

 Sen. Bam also reminded CHED of its earlier commitment during budget deliberation for RA 10931 that the P41 billion budget for its implementation was sufficient to cover the tuition and other fees in SUCs starting second semester of 2017-18.

“Magandang CHED mismo ang magpaliwanag sa mga senador, mga magulang at mga estudyante na umaasang maipatutupad ang batas ngayong second semester,” said Sen. Bam.

Meanwhile, Sen. Bam said he will scrutinize the IRR for the free college law to ensure that the law’s original intent will be fully implemented and students will benefit from it.

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