Sponsorship Speech of Senator LegardaSenate Bill No. 1894: An Act Enhancing the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act, Amending Republic Act No. 10931 | February 24, 2026

Mr. President, esteemed colleagues:

It is my distinct privilege to sponsor Senate Bill No. 1894, a measure that strengthens Republic Act No. 10931, otherwise known as the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act.

We are a nation that tells its children: Ang edukasyon ang pinakadakilang daan tungo sa pagkakapantay-pantay.

When we enacted this landmark law in 2017, we believed with full conviction that we were building the most consequential social investment of our generation. We were reaching into the lives of the most disadvantaged Filipino families and telling them: Kaya ninyo. Hindi kayo nag-iisa. Kaagapay ninyo ang pamahalaan.

The Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES) was meant to be our instrument of that promise. It was designed to prioritize the academically capable children of the poorest of the poor. Children for whom a college degree is not a matter of preference, but a doorway out of poverty and into dignity, for their families and for the generations that follow.

We meant it then and we must mean it now.

Yet meaning something is not the same as delivering it. Our extensive assessments through the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II) reveal that the reality on the ground has strayed far from the spirit of the law.

In 2018, 74% of TES grantees came from the 4Ps and Listahanan—the poorest households the law was built for. By 2022, that figure had collapsed to just 30%. In contrast, the share of grantees classified as PNSL—those studying in private institutions in areas with no state or local university—rose dramatically from 26% in 2018 to 69% in 2022.

This systemic barrier is most evident in recent graduation data. In 2024, 384,388 students from 4Ps households completed Senior High School. These are young Filipinos who, despite poverty, despite every obstacle stacked against them, have done everything right. They stayed in school. They finished. For many of them, graduation alone was already a miracle.

Yet out of that number, only 4,746—or 1%—were able to access the TES as first-year college beneficiaries that same year.

Isang porsyento lamang, mga kasama.

And even for those fortunate enough to qualify, the subsidy itself has been diminishing. In the program’s first year, TES stood at 60,000 PHP per year. Over the years, however, it was reduced to as low as 20,000 PHP. For grantees, that means 10,000 PHP per semester. Meanwhile, the cost of living continues to rise. Textbooks, transportation, board and lodging must still be paid for. And so the weight of it becomes too much, and students are forced to stop.

More than a funding problem, it is also a systemic failure. Ten years after the passage of Republic Act No. 10687 or the UniFAST Act, a law I principally authored, its vision remains largely unrealized. The Commission on Audit, in its 2022 Annual Audit Report, documented the institutional failures that compound this human cost: 548 million PHP in overpayments to three SUCs, 1.8 billion PHP in delayed TES benefit releases, and 13.5 billion PHP in unliquidated fund transfers across four CHED regional offices. These are failures of accountability that have direct consequences to our students.

Even a cursory look at student feedback on social media reveals the painful inefficiencies in the system. Many do not even learn they are eligible for the TES until after the enrollment period has closed, robbed of the chance to make an informed decision about college. And those who do dare to enroll, hoping the assistance will come, are left waiting. Pasan nila ang pangamba kung paano maitatawid ang kolehiyo, gayong ang sagot ay nakasulat na sa batas.

Mr. President, this is a crisis of equity and implementation, and it demands a united response.

I am grateful to be joined in this effort by my fellow EDCOM II Commissioners: Senator Bam Aquino, the principal sponsor of RA 10931, Senator Joel Villanueva, and Senator Win Gatchalian, alongside the authors of the bills comprising this committee report, Senators Pia Cayetano, Go, Escudero, Estrada, Hontiveros, Ejercito, and Raffy Tulfo. Together with all our esteemed colleagues in this chamber, we are determined to see this through. Our counterparts in the House of Representatives are moving in lockstep with us.

Allow me to present the highlights of Senate Bill No. 1894, through which we will institute the following reforms:

First, an ironclad guarantee for the poorest. The bill mandates that secondary education completers from 4PS households shall be guaranteed a TES slot, subject only to their successful admission into a CHED- or TESDA-recognized institution, whether public or private.

Yes, this carries a significant funding requirement. But consider what the guarantee transforms. When a child from a 4Ps family knows that the government has already secured a place in college for them, that knowledge alone changes everything. They know they have a future. They stay in school. They show up with a sense of purpose so profound it changes the trajectory of their entire life.

And beyond the 4Ps guarantee, the remaining slots will be awarded strictly by per capita household income, ensuring that every peso reaches those who need it most.

To institutionalize affirmative action in inclusive education, all SUCs, LUCs, and state-run TVIs will be required to develop concrete admissions criteria for learners from disadvantaged backgrounds: among them are persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples, and those from geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas.

For accurate targeting, a single learner reference code will be adopted from secondary through tertiary education, enabling early identification of every eligible student. And crucially, government will take a proactive stance, reaching every eligible student before they must make the decision that shapes the rest of their life.

Kung patas ang talino, dapat patas din ang pagkakataon.

Second, ensuring support that keeps pace with rising costs. Once a student qualifies TES, the support must arrive on time and in full. The bill mandates an efficient disbursement mechanism that delivers TES grants within the term for which they are intended. Amounts will be reviewed and adjusted every two years to keep pace with inflation and the true cost of education. Additional support will address the specific barriers faced by disadvantaged learners. And most importantly, once a student is granted TES, that amount may not be reduced. The government’s commitment to a student does not waver mid-program.

Katiyakan ang kanilang lakas para magpatuloy.

Third, seeing every student through to the end. For our nursing and allied health students, the journey to a degree extends far beyond the classroom. Clinical internships and Related Learning Experience (RLEs) are curriculum requirements and they come at a significant cost. Hence, this bill expands the definition of covered school fees to include these costs, and extends TES benefits accordingly for students in private HEIs. These students have come too far to be stopped at the final step.

Dahil ang ating pangako ay hindi natatapos sa enrollment, kundi sa graduation.

Fourth, public funds demand public accountability. The bill mandates UniFAST to establish monitoring, validation, and sanctions systems to ensure the proper use of TES funds. Institutions will undergo regular quality assessments focused on academic standards, graduate outcomes, and employment rates, with mandatory learner support interventions and impact evaluations.

Ang pondo ng taumbayan ay may katumbas na pananagutan.

Lastly, our graduates must be employed. EDCOM II shows that the economic advantage of completing college has been shrinking, with the wage premium for a college degree falling from 141.4% in 2010 to 93.7% in 2022. This tells us that sending more students to college is only half the work. When graduates finish degrees in fields with no jobs waiting for them, we have failed them twice—once in their poverty, and again by giving them a degree that does not open doors. The bill requires proactive guidance to inform students of tertiary education options and career pathways aligned with national development needs. TES grants may be differentiated, with higher support for students enrolling in priority programs that translates into real opportunities.

Ang tunay na tagumpay ay ang makita ang ating mga kabataan na nakapagtapos, at nakahanap ng landas tungo sa isang marangal na buhay.

Mr. President, let me speak plainly about what is truly at stake here.

This bill is about the kind of nation we are building. The Philippines cannot compete in the global economy if we leave the talent of our most vulnerable families untapped. Every capable young Filipino turned away from tertiary education by a broken system is a loss—not just to that student or family, but to our economy, our communities, and our future. The cost of exclusion does not stay in one generation. It is inherited.

But I will be equally plain about this: passing this bill is not enough. A law without a budget is a promise without meaning. We have seen what happens when we legislate generosity and appropriate scarcity. Our students pay the price. If this chamber is serious about equity, about human capital, about the future of this nation, then we must fund this law fully. The Filipino people are asking us to honor our word.

Kung walang pondo, walang pagbabago. At ang katumbas na halaga ng tamang pagpopondo nito ay higit na mas mababa sa kabayarang dulot ng kakulangan—hindi lamang sa mga pangarap na naudlot, kundi sa kinabukasan ng ating inang bayan.

With all that said, Mr. President, I respectfully submit Senate Bill No. 1894 for the body’s consideration and urge its swift passage.

Thank you.