Eastern Visayas Media Without Borders
The ₱2.7 billion Tulong Dunong Program will aid financially struggling college students from low-income backgrounds this year .
The budget’s ₱700 million increase from 2025 shows Congress’ focus on easing higher education costs, says Rep. Sheen Gonzales .
from low-income backgrounds are set to receive cash assistance this year under the national government’s Tulong Dunong Program (TDP), following the allocation of ₱2.7 billion for the program in the 2026 General Appropriations Law, House Assistant Minority Leader and Eastern Samar Lone District Rep. Christopher Sheen Gonzales said Sunday.
The allocation marks a ₱700-million increase from the program’s ₱2-billion budget in 2025, underscoring Congress’ renewed focus on helping students overcome financial barriers to higher education, according to Gonzales.
“The increased funding reflects Congress’ firm resolve to ease the cost of higher education, especially for students from economically disadvantaged families,” Gonzales said.
“We are counting on the cash assistance to help reduce the number of students who are forced to drop out of college due to financial constraints,” Gonzales added.
Four out of every 10 Filipino college students still fail to complete their degrees despite the government’s free tuition policy in state universities and colleges (SUCs) as well as local universities and colleges (LUCs), according to the Second Congressional Commission on Education.
Findings by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) point to financial difficulties and the need to seek employment as the primary reasons students leave college.
“The Tulong Dunong Program provides direct assistance to students who might otherwise be compelled to abandon their studies,” Gonzales said.
“While the support may not cover all academic expenses, it can make the critical difference between staying in school and dropping out,” he pointed out.
Under the program, eligible grantees receive ₱7,500 per regular semester, or ₱15,000 per school year, according to the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd).
Beneficiaries must be enrolled in an undergraduate degree program in CHEd-recognized private higher education institutions, SUCs, or LUCs, and must not be recipients of other national government student aid programs.
The TDP is anchored on the State’s constitutional duty to make education accessible to all Filipinos, particularly those who are most in need.
