Senators, Schools & Students: Tuition-Smart But Education-Scatterbrained?

MANILA: Maybe, it's better if Duterte scraps the funding. No, that P8.3 billion for free tuition is not an educational bonanza. Yes, it's a good idea for bad state-sponsored education – as is. Wake up, everybody!

Janvic Mateo reports on "Free tuition in state schools next year" from the realignment of budgets by the Senate (17 December 2016, The Philippine Star, philstar.com). The Senate allotted P8.3 Billion to the Commission on Higher Education, or CHEd, from the budget of the Department of Public Works & Highways, or DPWH, for infrastructure in the autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. A legislative Fool's Paradise. 

The ladies & gentlemen of the Senate must think that affordability is the primary problem in the state universities & colleges, or SUCs. In their hurry to get rid of that huge P8.3 billion pork barrel, the Senators allotted it instead for free tuition in those educational institutions owned and operated by the state. They must think it's now Schools' Paradise.

Of the news, Kabataan party-list Representative Sarah Elago says, "This is a victory for the youth movement, which has long fought for the right to education. This is great news for the nation's youth and their families, especially the poor and marginalized." She must think it's the Poor's Paradise.

Jee Y Geronimo of Rappler says the House originally wanted to include the P8.3 billion in the budget of the DPWH for development projects in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (15 December 2016, Rappler, rappler.com, where the image above comes from).

Patricia Licuanan, CHEd Chair, says the amount is purely for tuition. Ms Patricia says the CHEd is working with the SUCs on the implementing guidelines on how to utilize the budget. She has a good question:

"How do you share, how do you divide up P8 billion with 113 SUCs (and the University of the Philippines)? What formula do you use?"

If you can't count the number of SUCs right, how can you handle P8,300,000,000? Pinoy Trending has this list of State Universities & Colleges totalling 111, not 113 (pinoytrending.altervista.org):

NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION (NCR), 9

Eulogio “Amang” Rodriguez Institute of Technology

Marikina Polytechnic College

Philippine Normal University

Philippine State College of Aeronautics

Polytechnic University of the Philippines

Rizal Technological University

Technological University of the Philippines

University of the Philippines

Philippine General Hospital (University of the Philippines Manila)

Under DBM-NCR Coverage, 2

Philippine Merchant Marine Academy

Mindanao State University Main Campus (Marawi)

CORDILLERA ADMINISTRATIVE REGION (CAR), 6

Abra State Institute of Science and Technology

Apayao State College

Benguet State University

Ifugao State University

Kalinga-Apayao State College

Mountain Province State Polytechnic College

REGION 1 – ILOCOS, 6

Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University

Ilocos Sur Polytechnic State College

Mariano Marcos State University

North Luzon Philippines State College

Pangasinan State University

University of Northern Philippines

REGION II – CAGAYAN VALLEY, 5

Batanes State College

Cagayan State University

Isabela State University

Nueva Vizcaya State University

Quirino State College

REGION III – CENTRAL LUZON, 11

Aurora State College of Technology

Bataan Peninsula State University

Bulacan Agricultural State College

Bulacan State University

Central Luzon State University

Don Honorio Ventura Technological State University

Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology

Pampanga Agricultural College

Ramon Magsaysay Technological University

Tarlac College of Agriculture

Tarlac State University

REGION IV-A – CALABARZON, 5

Batangas State University

Cavite State University

Laguna State Polytechnic College

Southern Luzon State University

University of Rizal System

REGION IV-B – MIMAROPA, 6

Marinduque State College

Mindoro State College of Agriculture and Technology

Occidental Mindoro National College

Palawan State University

Romblon State University

Western Philippines University

REGION V – BICOL, 8

Bicol University

Camarines Norte State College

Camarines Sur Polytechnic Colleges

Central Bicol State University of Agriculture

Catanduanes State Colleges

Dr Emilio B Espinosa Sr Memorial State College of Agriculture and Technology

Partido State University

Sorsogon State College

REGION VI – WESTERN VISAYAS, 11

Aklan State University

Capiz State University

Carlos Hilado Memorial State College

Guimaras State College

Iloilo State College of Fisheries

Negros State College of Agriculture

Northern Iloilo Polytechnic State College

Northern Negros State College of Science and Technology

University of Antique

Western Visayas College of Science and Technology

West Visayas State University

REGION VII – CENTRAL VISAYAS, 5

Cebu Normal University

Cebu Technological University

Bohol Island State University

Negros Oriental State University

Siquijor State College

REGION VIII – EASTERN VISAYAS, 10

Eastern Samar State College

Eastern Visayas State University

Leyte Normal University

Naval Institute of Technology

Northwest Samar State University

Palompon Institute of Technology

Samar State University

Southern Leyte State University

Visayas State University

University of Eastern Philippines

REGION IX – ZAMBOANGA PENINSULA, 8

Basilan State College

Josefina H Cerilles State College

Jose Rizal Memorial State College

Sulu State College

Tawi-Tawi Regional Agricultural College

Western Mindanao State University

Zamboanga City State Polytechnic College

Zamboanga State College of Marine Sciences and Technology

REGION X- NORTHERN MINDANAO, 6

Bukidnon State College

Camiguin Polytechnic State College

Central Mindanao University

Mindanao University of Science and Technology

Misamis Oriental State College of Agriculture and Technology

Northwestern Mindanao State College of Science and Technology

REGION XI – DAVAO REGION, 4

Davao Del Norte State College

Davao Oriental State College of Science and Technology

Southern Philippines Agri-Business and Marine and Aquatic School of Technology

University of Southeastern Philippines

REGION XII – SOCCSKSARGEN, 5

Adiong Memorial Polytechnic State College

Cotabato City State Polytechnic College

Cotabato Foundation College of Science and Technology

Sultan Kudarat State University

University of Southern Mindanao

REGION XIII – CARAGA, 4

Agusan Del Sur State College of Agriculture and Technology

Caraga State University

Surigao Del Sur State University

Surigao State College of Technology

And no, the list does not include the biggest of them all, the University of the Philippines Los Baños, or UP Los Baños, which is in Region IV-A. I happen to know because UP Los Baños is my alma mater. If journalists can't check their facts, who will for them?

In the first place, how did the CHEd get such a huge allotment? ANN says it was Senator Ping Lacson who saw in the budget for 2017 a P8.3 billion allotment for public works projects in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, and pointed to it as pork barrel; convinced, the Senate decided to allot it instead to CHEd for free tuition at all SUCs (author not named, undated, Politiko, politics.com.ph).

I have been browsing the Internet and no one is concerned, neither politician nor activist nor journalist, except of course the CHEd Chair, about how the P8.3 billion shall be allocated. If you divided the amount equally among the 114 SUCs, they will each get at least P72,807,000, a king's ransom in these parts.

Is the CHEd stupefied by the enormity of that budget? I want to help the CHEd decide, and for me the solution is very simple, very logical, and very sensible. Serendipity. Earlier, I wrote an essay, "PH Agriculture: Wanted Radical Rethinking Of Ag Education!" (09 December 2016, DD Journalism, blogspot.com), where I noted that the passing rates in the Licensure Exams in the broad field of Agriculture among the SUCs are very low: 40% for Agricultural Engineer given in August 2016, and 31% for Agriculturist given in October 2016. No matter how you look at it, a low passing rate means a low quality of education.

In other words, not all the SUCs are created equal – some are non-performing assets (NPAs). Now then, to solve the problem simply:

Allocate 70% of the P8.3 billion to those SUCs who have passing rates of 70% or higher, and 30% to those who have passing rates lower than 70%. Problem solved!

In that way, you are rewarding the good while still being kind to the bad.

Nonetheless, actually, the problem is not solved: The very low quality of education in those SUCs who are NPAs will remain if CHEd does not do anything to improve their curricular offerings and their instruction methods. I should know; I'm a BS Agriculture graduate with a major in Ag Education and a Civil Service Professional eligibility, and I have never stopped minding aggie education in this country.

Now, I will call on the youth to stage some silent protests nationwide against SUCs that are non-performing asses (NPAs), and to urge the CHEd to reform them.

To consider the free tuition fee for next year in all SUCs as "a victory for the youth movement which has long sought for the right to education" is narrow-mindedness if those schools that are NPAs remain NPAs and are not reformed! @

27 December 2016. Essay word count, excluding this line. 1495