LIBERAL Party Rep. Roman T. Romulo of Pasig is asking the public school principals and teachers to conduct an information campaign among students about the three new measures on education that were signed into law late last year.
The three laws are the Iskolar ng Bayan Act (Republic Act 10648), the Ladderized Education Act (RA 10647) and the Open Distance Learning Act (RA 10650), that he authored in the House of Representatives. His bills were later consolidated with the Senate versions and the two chambers finally passed all three measures on September 24, 2014.
“While the law mandates the Department of Education (DepEd), the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), all state universities and colleges [SUCs] and other government agencies to provide the needed assistance for the implementation of these laws, the principals and teachers actually constitute the more critical element in information dissemination as they are in direct contact with the beneficiaries,” Romulo said. “It is, therefore, imperative that they take the initiative in spreading the word about the benefits and assistance that these laws provide.”
Romulo said he is particularly concerned about the implementation of the Iskolar ng Bayan Act and the Ladderized Education Act which, he said, deal with a high- school graduate’s earliest and most immediate steps to either earn a college degree or acquire technical-vocational education and training that would lead to a job.
The Iskolar ng Bayan Act provides scholarship grants to all students within the top 10 in every graduating class in all public highs schools, and not just to the valedictorians or salutatorians of the class. The scholarships can be availed of in any SCU within the region where the student graduated.
With around 8,000 public high schools in the country, the estimate is that this law will benefit about 80,000 students. The law provides that these graduates shall enjoy free tuition and other fees and they shall be admitted automatically without the need to take entrance examinations.
If a public high school has more than 500 students in its graduating class, it shall be entitled to one additional scholarship. The only limitation is that the number of scholarships should not exceed 5 percent of the incoming college freshmen in any state-funded college or university.
On the other hand, the Ladderized Education Act allows a student to enrol and finish a course on technical or vocational education, like welding, electronics or automotive servicing that can help him land a job soonest. The law also mandates the CHED, Tesda and the DepEd to include in their budgets the provision of scholarships, grants and loans to deserving students and workers availing of ladderized education, in addition to their existing scholarship programs.
A person who is motivated to further rise up the economic and social ladder can then work for an engineering or related degree. The courses he had previously taken that are related to his chosen field of higher study will be credited to him and there is no need for him repeat these subjects.
The law mandates the DepEd, the CHED and the Tesda to consult with several other government agencies and established industries to identify priority disciplines and programs in implementing the measure. The government agencies include the National Economic and Development Authority, the Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Labor and Employment, Department of Agriculture, Department of Science and Technology and the Professional Regulation Commission.
The law on Open Distance Learning provides opportunity for anybody to earn a bachelors degree or even obtain master’s and doctoral titles even at home. Or even while working, here or abroad. They can simply take any course they want online, using computers. Hence, even overseas Filipino workers can take advantage of this law, thanks to the revolutionary advances of information and communications technology.
As chairman of the House Committee on Higher and Technical Education, Romulo said his committee wants to provide greater accessibility to higher education among those who are usually hobbled by financial difficulties.
“Education is the surest path to enhance and a person’s economic and social development. That is why we must explore all possible avenues to promote higher education or technical and vocation training so that poverty will no longer be a bar that will prevent any Filipino from attaining a better life,” Romulo said.