KPL Cordi slams collection of fees despite free education

BAGUIO CITY – Kabataan Partylist-Cordillera (KPL-Cordi), the regional chapter of the sole youth representative in the 17th Congress, assailed the Commission on Higher Education -UniFAST and  Duterte administration for “limiting the access of youth to free education.”

“Despite the passing of the Universal Access to Free and Quality Education Act or RA 10931 in 2017, following the massive demonstrations and decade-long demand of the youth for free education, KPL-Cordi questions the sincerity of the administration in realizing the youth’s aspirations, the group said in a statement.

“We are deeply appalled by how the CHED and UniFAST have expertly played their tricks in RA 10931 and its IRR, manifested in the collection of ‘minimal fees’, stricter admission policies and the questionable Return Service System (RSS) which will serve as recompense for the supposed free education,” said Christian Dave Ruz, KPL Cordillera spokesperson.

This incoming academic year, millions of Filipino youth are set to pay “minimal fees” that were reportedly not included in the list of defined fees of RA 10931.

In the Cordillera, Kalinga State University each enrollee is charged  fees amounting to P1,000 - P2,500.

Meanwhile, Mountain Province State Polytechnic College (MPSPC) and Benguet State University (BSU) have reportedly institutionalized registration fees for student council candidates.

Cordillera SUCs are also reportedly collecting “penalty-type” fees for students who were not able to attend college and university activities.

“On the other hand, the RSS is also set for full implementation this coming academic year. This new system is drawn out from the implementing rules and regulations of the RA 10931, Rule 2, Sec 4, stating that “SUCs and LUCs shall formulate and implement a Return Service System for students befitting from the free higher education provision of this Act, as part of their admission and retention policies”

“RSS is a payment scheme for the free education through forced and unpaid labor for either school or government offices. While BSU has yet to release its quota time for their RSS, reports have been confirmed the Cagayan State University students are contracted to work 15 hours every week. If they will be deployed to these offices as student assistants, their working time will amount to P18,000 per semester which is even higher to the actual tuition cost.” Ruz said.

 “The neoliberal agents of the government have been ever since relentless in their effort to sabotage the call for free education. Instead of expanding free education, they are desperate in limiting its access. Stricter admission policies and higher passing scores for entrance exams became suspiciously frequent. To add, MPSPC’s admission tests have been administered to ‘filter’ students despite having no such mechanisms in the past years".