BICOL Saro Partylist Rep. Brian Raymund Yamsuan is pushing the congressional approval of a proposed measure that would provide a 5 percent discount on tuition, school supplies and prescribed electronic devices for online learning to all underprivileged students in the basic education, technical-vocational and college levels.

Under House Bill (HB) 1850 of which Yamsuan is a co-author, the five percent discount for underprivileged students would also apply to the purchase of textbooks, and the food items and medicines they consume.

HB 1850 or the proposed Underprivileged Students’ Discount Act also entitles them to a 5 discount on entrance fees to museums, theaters and cultural events sanctioned by the National Commission on Culture and the Arts (NCCA).

“This measure will significantly provide relief to the financial woes continuously faced by poor students in pursuing their education. A 5 percent discount may not mean much to those who can afford to buy everything they need for school. But this would be a big help to students and their families struggling to make ends meet,” Yamsuan said.

“We hope that through this measure, many underprivileged students would be encouraged to continue their studies and tread the path towards a bright and stable future,” he added.

Based on data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), about 7.8 million Filipinos or 1 in every 5 Filipinos aged 5-24 did not attend school in 2022-2023 for various reasons. The high cost of education and financial problems were among the reasons cited.

An “underprivileged student” entitled to the 5 percent discount is defined under the bill as a Filipino student enrolled in the basic education, post-secondary non-degree technical vocational courses, and those in bachelor’s degree programs at the college level, “whose parents have a gross annual income of not more than P250,000.”

Filipino students who opt to take part-time jobs to subsidize their education, and whose income combined with those of their parents do not exceed P250,000, are also entitled to the benefit.

The P250,000 threshold is subject to the review of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) every three years, the bill states.

Under the bill, private establishments mandated to provide the discounts may claim the cost as allowable tax deductions from their gross income in the computation of their income tax.

The Department of Education (DepEd), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) are tasked under the measure to determine who are qualified to avail of the discounts and issue the necessary identification cards as proof of the eligibility of the beneficiaries.

They should also maintain and regularly update the list of beneficiaries every quarter and monitor the implementation of the discount program, among their other functions specified under the bill.

The penalties to be imposed on establishments violating provisions of the measure include the temporary suspension of their license to operate and fines ranging from P20,000 to P250,000.