Mamamayang Liberal party-list Rep. Leila de Lima is pushing for amendments to Republic Act No. 10931, or the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act, to address implementation gaps and prioritize the most impoverished students.
De Lima said that while the law was a major step toward inclusive higher education, issues have surfaced eight years after its enactment that require legislative corrections.
She filed House Bill No. 6825, which adopts provisions from Senate bills authored by Senators Bam Aquino and Risa Hontiveros.
Citing data from the Second Congressional Commission on Education, De Lima noted a sharp drop in Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES) grants for the poorest households, from 74.24 percent in academic year 2018–2019 to 30.74 percent in 2022–2023.
The proposed measure seeks to guarantee TES coverage for all eligible Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program beneficiaries and expand allowable expenses to include internship and related learning fees, while strengthening transparency and accountability mechanisms.
