Discount on school supplies for poor students sought

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Sonny Angara has called for the grant of discounts on textbooks, school supplies, food and other basic needs to underprivileged students in all school levels.

Senate Bill 134 filed by Angara calls for the grant of a five-percent discount to underprivileged elementary, high school and college students, including those enrolled in technical-vocational institutions, when they purchase textbooks, school supplies, food, medicines and for tickets to museums, theaters and cultural events.

“It’s back to school again and for sure, the students are once again excited to buy their new school supplies. But for their parents, they would again be faced with huge expenditures,” Angara said.

“We are proposing this discount in order to ease the burden of families on school expenses,” he added.

Under the bill, the qualified student must come from a family that registers a gross annual income of not more than P150,000.

Working students could also qualify if their income combined with their parents’ annual gross income would not exceed P150,000.

Student discount cards, valid anywhere in the country, will be issued as proof of eligibility.

The bill also grants a five-percent discount on tuition, miscellaneous and other school fees of both public and private education institutions where qualified students are enrolled in.

Angara said that these discounts would not preclude underprivileged students from availing themselves of other educational assistance provided by the school and the government.

“Habang libre na ang tuition sa high school at kolehiyo, malaking bahagi pa rin ng gastusin sa pag-aaral ang libro, school supplies, uniform at araw-araw na baon ng mga bata para sa pamasahe at pagkain (While tuition in high school and college is free, a big chunk of expenses in studying still goes to buying books, school supplies, uniform and everyday allowance of the children for transportation fare and food),” the senator, one of the authors of the Free College Education law, said.

His father, the late former Senate president Edgardo Angara, was principal author of the Free High School Education law.

“Our proposed student discount aims to ease the financial burden of underprivileged students and their families to help them cope with the high cost of education and daily school expenses,” Angara said.

Angara is also the author of a separate bill that grants 20-percent student fare discount on land, rail, sea and air transport even during summer break and holidays.