MANILA, Philippines – President Arroyo has frozen tuition hikes in state universities and colleges this coming school year.
However, she could not do anything about private schools and univerities, except to appeal to them to stop any planned increase in fees.
“The non-stop increase in oil prices and the unprecedented food price shock now roiling the world are adversely affecting household incomes and forcing families to cut back on spending, if not do away altogether with certain necessities,” she said in a statement.
Mrs. Arroyo said the average cost of P450 per unit charged by colleges and universities translates to around P10,000 per semester for a 21-unit load.
“Hence, any adjustment in school fees is an added burden most of them can ill afford during these belt-tightening times,” she said.
The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) will order universities and colleges to stop any tuition hike and ask private higher education institutions to reconsider any decision to raise fees.
Dr. William Medrano, CHED executive director, said acting Chairman Romulo Neri had issued the memorandum based on a directive of Mrs. Arroyo.
“We’re preparing a memo from the chairman,” he said.
“Of course, we have to issue that as part of the directive of the President calling on all universities and colleges to put off any plans for an increase in tuition fees.”
Medrano said in the case of the private schools, they could only go as far as making an appeal.
“We can’t force them,” he said. “It depends on them if they will reconsider their plans.”
Medrano said the appeal to the private schools was a mere reiteration since they have already called on them to avoid raising tuition.
“We’ll reiterate our appeal to the private schools to reconsider and freeze their plans to increase tuition fees,” he said.
However, Gonzalo Duque, Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities (PACU) president, doubted that private schools can call off the tuition hikes.
Presidential Management Staff chief Cerge Remonde said he had met with Neri and Medrano to discuss the issue upon instruction of Mrs. Arroyo.
Mrs. Arroyo said the government is exerting all efforts to reverse the drop out rate in schools and encourage parents to allow their children to get quality tertiary education.
“The last thing that our parents need at this point is another round of adjustment in tuition fees and other school expenses,” she said.
“Although government cannot deny private business the fruits of its legitimate investments, especially in lofty causes such as higher learning, it must nonetheless balance this interest with that of the rest of our people who regard college education as the lasting legacy to future generations.”
The Constitution mandates the State to protect and promote the right of citizens to quality education from the primary to tertiary levels, she added.
Mrs. Arroyo also directed the CHED to conduct an extensive study on the extent of compliance of past tuition hikes with the requirements of the law.
Under the law, school administrators must set aside 70 percent of the increased fees for salaries and other benefits of their faculty and non-academic personnel, and another 20 percent for modernizing their facilities.