PB members back 3-year tuition freeze

CEBU, Philippines – Cebu Provincial Board members Victor Maambong and Peter John Calderon expressed support for House Bill No. 2440 titled An Act Imposing a Three-Year Moratorium on Tuition and Other Fee Increases on All Educational Institutions.

Maambong and Calderon’s resolution is expected to be deliberated in tomorrow’s PB session and a copy of the approved resolution will be furnished to the House of Representatives and Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casiño, who authored the House Bill.

Casiño said the approval of his bill could form part of the government’s response to the global economic crisis.

“If our government is really sincere and serious in its efforts to cushion the cruel impact of economic crisis now aggravating the financial conditions of almost all Filipinos and believe in the merits supporting a determination to order a moratorium on tuition fee increases then it must enact a law to achieve the purpose,” the proposed resolution read.

CHED chairman Emmanuel Angeles, in a memorandum dated February 5, 2009, appealed to all tertiary schools to implement a “no tuition and other school fee increase” policy for the coming school year 2009-2010.

In response to the global economic crisis affecting not only the business sector, the University of the Visayas will be implementing a 10-percent tuition fee decrease in most of its colleges starting this summer.

UV assistant vice president for finance Joselito “Jiji” Gullas said that they are doing this as part of the school’s commitment to the community. — Garry B. Lao/BRP (THE FREEMAN)