MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Pia Cayetano supported the appeal of the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) to higher education institutions (HEIs) to defer planned tuition increases.
The senator on Sunday raised the need to assist Filipino families already grappling with rising cost of living amid the oil crisis brought by the Middle East war.
She called on HEIs to explore alternative ways in addressing higher operational costs without passing the burden to students and their families.
"Education is the great equalizer. We cannot allow it to become a privilege that only the wealthy can afford," Cayetano said in a statement.
"We must ensure that education remains accessible, especially during these challenging times," she said.
Cayetano said that accessible education is fundamental to breaking the cycle of poverty and ensuring intergenerational equity.
She said that the government has been working to strengthen support for higher education through the tertiary education subsidy and increased funding for state universities and colleges.
Cayetano commended CHEd for maintaining an open dialogue with institutions while balancing the need to ensure that students and their families are not overburdened during this time.
"I appreciate that CHEd is engaging with HEIs on this matter. It's important that we balance the operational needs of institutions with the capacity of families to afford education," she said.
Cayetano expressed hope that HEIs can work together with the government in exploring ways to ease the burden on students while sustaining the quality of education they provide.
"I fully support CHEd's call for universities to hold off on tuition increases. Many families are already struggling with rising costs across the board," she said.
Cayetano, who serves as senior vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, has handled the education budget for six years.
