THE GOVERNMENT is spending P53 billion this year to fund the tuition fees of poor students studying in private schools, a congressman said on Wednesday.  

“The P53 billion is nearly double the P28-billion budget for Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education in 2022,” Quezon City Rep. Marvin D. Rillo, a member of the House appropriations panel, said in a statement.  

He said P39.3 billion will be allotted to the Senior High School Voucher program, which provides tuition grants to qualified Grade 10 completers who will enroll in Grades 11 and 12. 

Mr. Rillo said P12.5 billion will be given to elementary graduates who wish to enroll in junior high school or Grades 7 to 10.  

He added that P1.4 billion will be spent on tuition grants for senior high school students taking the Technical-Vocational-Livelihood track. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz