Cordillera - The office of the Commission on Higher Education - Cordillera (CHED-CAR) has announced that around 30,000 poor members of the Indigenous Peoples (IPs) in Cordillera region will benefit from the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act of 2017, according to Philippine News Agency.
CHED-Cordillera Officer-In-Charge Ma. Geraldine Casipit told Philippine News Agency in an interview that the Republic Act (RA) 10931, also known as the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education will benefit the six major State and Colleges (SUCs) in the region.
According to Casipit, the new law will save poor indigent family from financial burden like selling their farms just to get their children to colleges and universities.
"Sa ilang taos kong pag-stay dito sa Cordillera, napansin ko kasi na napakaraming miyembro ng IP dito sa Cordillera na nangangailangan ng tulong pinansyal. So sobrang kahirapan, hindi sila makapag-ral. Pero sa initiative ni Pangulong Duterte, marami talaga ang matutulongan," Casipit said.
State Colleges and Universities that can accommodate Free College Education for poor indigent Cordillerans are:
Ifugao State University - Ifugao Province
Mountain Province State Polytechnic College - Mt. Province
Kalinga State University - Kalinga
Benguet State University - Benguet Province
Abra State Institute of Science and Technology - Abra Province
Apayao State College - Apayao Province.
Each SUC, according to Casipit, has an estimated 5,000 students who will benefit from the free tuition, but that could change depending on the students passing the admission requirements and SUC's carrying capacity.
source || PNA