spot_img
25.9 C
Philippines
Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Imee: End commercialization of state schools

- Advertisement -

Senator Imee Marcos yesterday called on authorities to end the commercialization of state colleges and universities that has allowed foreign students to enjoy the same benefits reserved for Filipino state scholars.

Marcos said enrollment quotas for foreign students were preventing more Filipinos from availing of government-funded college education, particularly in expensive medical courses.

“Let’s take care of Filipinos first. Our taxes must support our future Filipino doctors, especially amid this enduring pandemic,” Marcos said.

“Our efforts to ratchet up our supply of doctors may be lost entirely and merely expended on foreigners,” Marcos added, saying that the Senate was on the verge of enacting legislation on expanding medical scholarship, known as the ‘Doktor Para Sa Bayan’ bill.

On the other hand, Senator Sonny Angara urged the Commission on Higher Education and the state universities and colleges to keep Filipino graduates in the Philippines.

- Advertisement -

“It is about time the government focuses on keeping Filipino talents here in the country instead of constantly losing them to overseas headhunters,” said Angara.

Meanwhile, Senator Christopher “Bong” Go also exhorted CHEd and SUCs administrators to ensure the safety and well-being of their students and personnel as the country’s education system adjusts to the adverse effects of the ongoing health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“In the implementation of policies, listen to the students, the parents, the professors. We all have to be in this together. Our national government is here to help us,” Go said.

While expressing his full support to the agency and educational institutions, Go asked CHED about the low number of universities and colleges with Centers of Excellence, Center of Development, with recognized flagship program, with Autonomous or Deregulated status, or with Level III or Level IV accredited programs.

“Only 18% of Higher Education Institutions are with Centers of Excellence, Center of Development, with recognized flagship program, with Autonomous or Deregulated status, or with Level III or Level IV accredited programs,” Go noted.

“Ideally, the more we have of these excellent educational institutions, the better the quality of our education,” he added, even as CHED Chair J. Prospero De Vera III said that the quality of education is correlated to the level of government investment.

Go also asked for updates on CHED’s  initiatives to render services in the education sector via digital means, saying, “I am pushing for the country’s transition to the digital age through the e-Governance bill

I filed. I see that CHED has been implementing initiatives to render services through digital means.”.

In July of this year, Go filed a measure institutionalizing the transition of the government to e-governance in the digital age.

Senate Bill No. 1738, or the E-Governance Act of 2020, mandates the government to establish an integrated, interconnected, and inter-operable information and resource-sharing and communications network spanning the entirety of the national and local government, an internal records management information system, an information database, and digital portals for the delivery of public services.

As chairman of the Committee on Finance, Angara suggested to CHEd and

SUCs to put more focus into helping industries produce more jobs in the country rather than losing the best and brightest to jobs overseas after they graduate.

Angara lauded the CHEd and the SUCs for getting past the historic issue of access during the budget deliberations and moving forward to discussions about quality and innovation.

Among the many professionals who end up seeking better opportunities abroad are those in the medical profession, scientists, and engineers.

Angara said these educational institutions can work with the manufacturing sector and the 21st century industries for the creation of more jobs in the country so that Filipinos no longer have to leave their families behind just to find decent employment.

- Advertisement -

LATEST NEWS

Popular Articles