Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 29) – The Commission on Higher Education is planning to give a one-time voucher for at least one child of every displaced overseas Filipino worker to enroll this coming school year given the current crisis.
“Maybe grant them a one-time grant just so they can pay the tuition for this school year,” said CHED chairperson Prospero De Vera III during a virtual hearing at the Senate on Friday. “Pwede namang one-shot grant muna, para may pambayad sila (It could be a one-shot grant for now, so they could have something to pay with).”
He added that the agency could partner with the Department of Labor and Employment regarding the list of displaced returning OFWs.
De Vera said the proposed scheme is just for the meantime as the pandemic persists .
“The expectation is next school year, hopefully, the economy could pick up, hopefully they [OFWs] could be redeployed, so kakayanin ng pamilya na bayaran yung tuition (so the family will be able to pay the tuition),” he said.
President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday said the state-run Land Bank of the Philippines can let parents loan their children’s tuition this coming school year.
More than 50,000 part-time instructors in financial limbo
On the other hand, CHED also noted that more than 50,000 part-time instructors in private universities, who are under a “no teach, no pay” scheme,” must be given financial aid by the government as they have not earned anything since classes ended.
“We have to help them,” he stressed, “because the opening of classes for private universities is moving to August, so many of them have not had anything since the end of the semester, so that’s half of the year already.”
De Vera said these college instructors did not benefit from the financial assistance programs by DOLE and Department of Finance.
“They are not included in any amelioration program of the program,” said De Vera. “They have not received anything. So we are asking their plight be seriously considered.”
READ: Online classes still an option for August 24 opening, says DepEd
