P3-B DepEd Voucher Cut Could Shrink Beneficiary Pool, Angara Warns

MANILA, Philippines – Education Secretary Sonny Angara on Monday warned that the government’s private education voucher program may reach fewer beneficiaries, as the scheme that lets eligible families transfer students to private schools will receive a lower budget next year. At a congressional budget hearing, Angara said the consolidated funding for the joint delivery voucher program for senior high school students in the trade track and educational service contracting project for junior high school students faces a P3 billion cut. “It’s reduced a bit, so that means [fewer] beneficiaries also,” he told lawmakers in mixed English and Filipino. DepEd’s voucher programs aim to subsidize tuition for students enrolling in private schools, as part of its efforts to ease congestion in public classrooms. READ: DepEd eyes 2.4M learners in private school subsidies In their exchange, Caloocan Rep. Edgar Erice urged Angara to ask President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. to redirect next year’s P58 billion local government support fund to education programs to cover funding shortfalls. “Maybe Congress can also consider that because our youth are pitiful,” he said in Filipino. /jpv