To keep higher education accessible to Filipinos, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. announced on Monday heftier investments in free public college education and technical-vocational (TechVoc) training programs.
In his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) at the Batasang Pambansa, President Marcos said that nearly PhP60 billion will be allocated to fund free tuition for millions of students in public colleges and TechVoc programs.
“Kung tutungtong naman sa kolehiyo, nakahanda ang malaking pondo para sa pagtutustos sa libreng pampublikong edukasyon sa kolehiyo. Pati na rin ang mga subsidy at financial assistance para sa mas higit pang nangangailangang estudyante,” the President said.
“Sa susunod na taon, maglalaan pa rin tayo ng halos 60 bilyong piso para sa libreng edukasyon sa pampublikong kolehiyo at sa TechVoc,” President Marcos said.
Currently, over two million students benefit from the government’s free higher education program each year.
Under President Marcos’ administration, an additional 260,000 youth gained access to the free college education program, helping more youth realize their dreams.
President Marcos said the government will prioritize the children of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) members for the free college and TechVoc programs.
The President also highlighted the increasing number of scholarships awarded by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). In 2024 alone, the TESDA awarded more than 200,000 additional scholarships, enabling more Filipinos to gain job-ready skills and training.
“Kitang-kita natin ang bunga ng mga programang ito. Napakataas ngayon ng bilang ng kabataan nating pumasok sa kolehiyo o sa TESDA,” the President said.
The Chief Executive added that the Philippines now ranks second in the Southeast Asian region for youth enrollment in college and TechVoc programs.
The President urged parents to fully seize these educational opportunities, emphasizing that the government’s goal is for every Filipino family to have at least one member who has graduated from college or completed a TESDA program. | PND
