Zubiri welcomes signing of free-tuition law by President Duterte

Sen. Juan Miguel F. Zubiri was ecstatic over the President's signing of the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education. "This is a landmark legislation that will have a lasting imoact for our country's future. Education is an excellent investment whatever the cost to government. Whether it is hundreds of billions of pesos or only P8 Billion, we will find the resources to fund it in Congress. It is my dream that in ten years, all Filipino youth will be a college graduate."

"Let us thank President Rody Duterte for signing this into law. The fact that he signed this against the advice of many who wanted it to be vetoed shows he has a heart for the poor. I also see this as a marching order for us to fund this and to fully implement it as well.

"As a product of a State University, I know that even the supposed subsidized tuition in UP was already a big burden for many of my former classmates. Even now, with the socialized tuition program of UP, many parents feel the hardship. Now, there is no excuse at all for any Filipino not to seek college education."

"We will be scrutinizing the budget soon and we will target revenue sources to fund the tuition of students in 112 State Universities and Colleges (SUC), local universities and colleges, and state-run technical- vocational schools nationwide. By funding tuition in LUCs and government tech-voc schools, we address the needs of students from the middle and low-income brackets. Free education is truly the great equalizer of opportunities for a better future of the youth, rich or poor."

The expenditures for the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act is currently not provided for in the proposed Budget for 2018. "We senators will see to it that the funds will be provided," Zubiri stressed.

"This has been a part of my advocacies since I believe that college education is the way out of poverty. Our country's passport to become a true tiger economy is a well-educated citizenry like India, Malaysia and Singapore that invested hugely in education."