The industry-led Philippine Business for Education (PBEd) is supporting the initiative to examine tuition-free college education in the country's state-owned colleges, claiming that it will assist expose any weaknesses in the system. PBEd executive director Justine B. Raagas stated that a review is required to guarantee that the aims of this government education program are satisfied. "Like any implementation, any program, any scholarship, or any intervention, reviews must be conducted to ensure that they address the actual problem and achieve their objectives," Raagas told reporters on the sidelines of a forum co-hosted by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) at the Sofitel Manila Hotel.
"By calling it wasteful and inefficient, we really have to get back to the question of what makes it inefficient and wasteful," she added, referring to an earlier remark by the finance secretary that described it as such. To remember, Finance Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno recently described the existing system of giving free tuition in public institutions and colleges as "unwieldy, inefficient, and wasteful," citing increased dropout rates as evidence. Notwithstanding their support for a study, the PBEd official emphasized that any changes or revisions to this education system should also take current labor market developments into consideration. Of course, a review is welcome, but it must be grounded in the intention that "we want people to have equitable access to education across multiple pathways, access to high-quality education and training, and access to education and training that is responsive to the needs of the workplace," Raagas added. The PBED official emphasized that admission processes at public institutions and colleges should consider applicants' ability to pay as well as their talent.
