By Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz
A lawmaker on Monday scored Malacañang’s justification over the recent round of increase in tuition and other school fees in 313 colleges and universities this school year.
“Instead of showing concern over the nonstop rise in the cost of education in the country, the Palace even had the gall to justify the fee increases. This only goes to show that the Aquino administration doesn’t care a bit about the plight of students and their families,” Party-list Rep. Terry Ridon of Kabataan said.
Over the weekend, Communications Secretary Herminio B. Coloma Jr. said the tuition and other fee increases recently approved by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) are “lawful and reasonable.”
Last week the CHED approved 313 out of 404 fee-increase applications of various higher education institutions (HEIs). Of the 313 schools, 283 HEIs were allowed to increase tuition while 212 schools were allowed to hike other school fees.
Ridon said, “In theory, the President can halt the implementation of the tuition increases through [an] executive order. Yet, Malacañang has again chosen to side with the school owners.”
He added that “the increase in tuition and other school fees are neither lawful nor reasonable, since the move was approved without the benefit of consultation.”
Ridon also noted that the average 6.48- percent increase in tuition and other school fees for the next academic year is “over and beyond” the projected inflation rate in the country for 2015 to 2017, which is only 2 percent to 4 percent, as computed by the Philippine Statistics Authority.
“Never can an increase in the cost of education be reasonable for we reject the view of education being a business enterprise. Education is a right, and it is clear that the Aquino administration has no intent to defend such right,” Ridon said.
Earlier, Nationalist People’s Coalition Rep. Sherwin Gatchalian of Valenzuela questioned the CHED’s approval mechanism on the hike.
Gatchalian said that the CHED should explain that if the HEIs that were allowed to increase tuition last year complied with its memorandum that says 70 percent of tuition hikes must go to the salary increase of teaching and non-teaching personnel.
CHED Memorandum Order 3, series of 2012, states that proceeds from tuition hikes should be budgeted as follows: 70 percent for increase of salaries and other benefits of teaching and nonteaching personnel, at least 20 percent for improvement of facilities and other costs of operation.