INFO CARAVAN. More than a thousand people flash the thumb-up sign during the Nationwide Information Caravan on the salient features of the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act (UAQTEA) or Republic Act 10931 at the Batangas City Convention Center on Tuesday (June 19, 2018). (Photo by Saul Pa-a)
BATANGAS CITY – More than a thousand people gathered at the Batangas City Convention Center here on Tuesday for a day-long Nationwide Information Caravan on the salient features of the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act (UAQTEA), or Republic Act 10931.
Commission on Higher Education (CHED)-Calabarzon Regional Director Dr. Emmylou B. Yanga described the new law as a vital measure that paved the way for Filipino learners to avail of free education, whether in higher education or in technical-vocational training.
“Today marks another milestone in the history of tertiary education. This law has given all of us a chance to dream big for our students and at the same time achieve it,” Yanga remarked.
She said the caravan is the 15th and the second to the last of the series of caravans across the country. The CHED and the Unified Student Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education (UniFAST) Secretariat, she said, have gone a long way from Zamboanga, Cebu, Vigan and other parts of the country.
CHED officials, academic administrators from the State Universities and Colleges (SUCs), Local Universities and Colleges (LUCs), Technical-Vocational Institutions (TVIs), local government executives and various education stakeholders comprised the convention delegates.
The event also featured free education fair and exhibits of educational institutions, open forum, updating of status of billings on the free tuition for the tertiary education subsidy allotment and consultations with recognized LUCs.
“We are now in Batangas City to deliver the good news to our stakeholders for the free quality tertiary education and express our appreciation for the overwhelming support to tertiary education,” she said.
The caravan and forum served to clarify some questions and concerns related to the new education law, including the Congressional intent for the measure and the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) promulgated by the UniFAST Board to ensure efficient and effective implementation of the new law - which was signed by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte last Aug. 3, 2017.
Adopting the hashtag #FreeEducationNa!, the gathering also dwelt on the IRR which recognized the complementary roles of public and private Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) with the SUCs, LUCs as well as the TVIs accredited by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) as implementers.
Senator Ralph Recto, in a video message said Congress crafted the law to benefit Filipino families and to make sure no child is left behind, as most students have not been given enough access to college due to financial constraints.
Recto said statistics show that only 10% of Filipinos have college degrees while fellow Senator Loren Legarda, also through a video message, stressed that there is no reason why the youth would not be able to pursue college, now that the free universal access to tertiary education is in place.
“Ang kailangan lamang ngayon ay yung makamit ang kanyang adhikain or goal sa buhay (what is needed now is for the student to achieve his/her aspiration or goal in life),” Legarda inspired.
Also, in a video message, Senator Bam Aquino said that if the law were implemented properly, this could create change, not only within the individual family of the student but also for the society and be the key towards a better life.
Meanwhile, Batangas 5th District Representative Mario Vittorio Mariño told the caravan delegates that “we want the graduates to have the opportunities right in their own localities in the country, so they do not need to go abroad to look for jobs.”
Mariño also lauded efforts by CHED and the various education stakeholders for putting up the caravan to maximize information dissemination, as these are vital not only for the students and parents but also for all Filipinos for doing the right things.
“In the law, it’s not only free tertiary education but it has to be quality education for all so the funds have to be properly spent for the right programs and implemented by the SUCs, LUCs and TVIs because global competitiveness requires quality education,” the Batangas legislator said. (PNA)
