Legarda lauds Senate for ratifying enhanced free college law

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Loren Legarda praised the Senate for ratifying on June 17 the bicameral conference committee report on Senate Bill No. 1894 and House Bill No. 8476, which will both enhance the law on free college access for poor students.

Senate Bill No. 1894, principally sponsored and authored by Legarda, will enhance the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act (RA 10931), thus strengthening the Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES) to give poor and vulnerable students the support they need to stay in school and graduate despite financial hardship.

The ratified measure aims to do the following:

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institutionalize automatic TES eligibility for senior high school graduates from Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) households

expand allowances to cover essential student needs

require all state universities and colleges, local universities and colleges, and technical‑vocational institutions to adopt Equity and Inclusion Plans to guarantee fair access for disadvantaged learners

READ: Loren Legarda demands real funding for education at CHED

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“No youth should be forced to stop studying because of poverty. This law will give each student the courage and the opportunity to finish with dignity,” Legarda said in Filipino.

The proposal further provides additional support for learners with disabilities and requires regular reviews of TES amounts to keep pace with rising education costs.

According to the report of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (Edcom II), the share of TES beneficiaries from the poorest families dropped from 70.73% in 2018 to only 22.89% in 2022.

Out of 384,388 4Ps senior high school completers, only 4,746 or 1.23% received TES as first‑year beneficiaries in Academic Year 2024‑2025. The measure directly addresses this decline by strengthening targeting and expanding coverage.

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READ: Legarda tackles literacy crisis in EDCOM II briefing – News

The proposal also introduces the Private Education Assistance Program, which extends support to students in private colleges and TVET schools. This provision aims to level opportunities so that education is within reach regardless of where students are enrolled.

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Legarda, who has long advanced education reforms, previously chaired the Senate committee on higher, technical, and vocational education, the Senate committee on Basic Education, and also served as co‑chairperson of Edcom II.

“This reform proves that each youth has a place in our schools. We are showing that their hopes are valuable and that their journey is supported. Under this law, the education is more just,” she said. /atm

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