Eastern Visayas Media Without Borders
Tacloban City–Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez on Wednesday sounded the alarm over soaring dropout rates in public colleges and universities, urging urgent action to strengthen the Free Higher Education Law and prevent millions of students from falling through the cracks of the country’s most ambitious education reform.
“Free tuition was a landmark achievement, but the work is far from over. Nearly four out of 10 students in state universities and colleges are still dropping out. In some regions, the situation is even more alarming,” Rep. Romualdez lamented.
Citing data from the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2), Rep. Romualdez said the national dropout rate in school year 2023 to 2024 reached 39 percent.
In the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), it was as high as 93.4 percent.
Central Visayas reported 60.7 percent, Zamboanga Peninsula 59.5 percent, Cordillera 54.9 percent, Metro Manila 52.4 percent, Soccsksargen 51.2 percent, and Western Visayas 50.2 percent.
“These are not just statistics. They are shattered dreams and interrupted futures, often because students cannot afford transportation, food, rent, books or internet,” Rep. Romualdez said.
“We need to protect and build on the gains of the Free Higher Education Law by ensuring students have the means to actually finish school,” he added.
Rep. Romualdez expressed strong support for House Resolution (HR) No. 61 filed by Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Terry Ridon, which seeks a full review of the implementation and long-term sustainability of Republic Act (RA) No. 10931, or the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act.
The Speaker of the recently concluded 19th Congress said the review should focus on identifying support mechanisms beyond tuition coverage to help students complete their degrees.
He urged the government to consider strategic interventions such as monthly stipends, transport subsidies, food allowances, and digital access programs.
“This is a gap we must urgently fill. If we truly want free higher education to be a ladder out of poverty, we need to make sure our students can actually stay in school and graduate,” he said.
Rep. Romualdez also pointed to a Pulse Asia survey conducted in January 2024 and commissioned by Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, which showed that 98 percent of Filipinos support free tuition in public colleges.
He said this overwhelming public support reflects a national mandate to strengthen and expand the law.
“The Free Higher Education Law has changed millions of lives. But transformation is not complete when so many students are forced to drop out. Our mission is not just to provide access, but to ensure completion,” he stressed.
Rep. Romualdez reaffirmed the commitment of the House of Representatives to championing education reforms that promote equity, youth development and long-term national growth.
“We owe it to our students to fund this law properly. We owe it to every Filipino family to give their children a real chance at a better future. And we owe it to the nation to make education a powerful equalizer, not an unfinished promise,” Rep. Romualdez said.
