Senator Francis Pangilinan on Sunday bared that he filed a bill mandating more financial assistance to poor students in private schools.
Pangilinan said under Senate Bill No. 1841 or the Private Education Voucher Expansion Act, vouchers will be distributed to learners in kindergarten to senior high school from low and middle-income families—as defined by the Philippine Statistics Authority—who attend public schools deemed congested or those who live in areas without accessible public schools.
“Students who are most vulnerable and underprivileged shall receive a higher voucher amount, as determined by the Basic Education Assistance Council,” Pangilinan explained.
He said the program would consolidate existing aid into a unified voucher-based system for private basic education.
The proposed law also includes institutional support for participating private schools, covering teacher development and targeted assistance programs.
A Bureau of Private Education under the Department of Education will be created to oversee implementation and ensure compliance with regulations, while the Basic Education Assistance Council monitors eligibility criteria for student beneficiaries and participating schools to prioritize the most underprivileged learners.
“By strengthening public-private partnership in basic education, this bill promotes equitable access, more efficient use of public resources, and improved education outcomes,” Pangilinan said.
