AMID frequent shifts to online classes due to severe weather, Sen. Erwin Tulfo pushed for a 20 percent discount on mobile prepaid load, mobile postpaid plans, and mobile internet packages for all enrolled Filipino students.
He filed Senate Bill 2275, or the “Student Load Discount Act,” which aims to alleviate the financial burden on families struggling to keep up with the data demands of modern education.
“We must slash this added expense for students, which too often prevents them from keeping up with their online classes. This is our way to somehow level the playing field,” Tulfo said. “We cannot expect students, especially those from indigent families, to seamlessly transition into digital learning without the government lending them a helping hand,” he added.
Under the proposed legislation, the discount applies to Filipino citizens enrolled in authorized elementary, secondary, technical-vocational, or higher education institutions, excluding post-graduate studies. The mandatory 20 percent price cut will remain available year-round, including weekends and holidays, ensuring continuous access to learning.
To claim the discount, students need only present a valid school identification card or proof of enrollment, and a birth certificate to verify citizenship. Telecommunications companies will be legally required to grant the discount across all eligible services, with non-compliant providers facing strict penalties.
Tulfo, who chairs the Senate Committee on Social Justice, Welfare and Rural Development, said that the traditional concept of class suspensions has fundamentally changed.
“Before, when classes were suspended, there were simply no classes. But this time around, most schools immediately shift to online modality to avoid academic backlogs,” Tulfo said.
“It is our duty in the government to guarantee access. A student’s potential to learn should never be halted simply because they cannot afford mobile data or an internet connection. No student must be left offline when everyone else should be online,” he added.