600 Capiz studes avail private education subsidy
ROXAS CITY – The government has helped more than 600 high school students in one private school alone in Capiz.
According to Mrs. Phoebe Santiago, Guidance Counselor and school coordinator of the Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education (GASPE) of Filamer Christian College, a total of 610 high school students were provided government tuition fee subsidy.
Santiago said that of the total GASPE beneficiaries in their school, 43 had already graduated last year.
She added that for this year, they have applied for 567 students to become GASPE beneficiaries, while 177 first year high school students have also applied for said government education assistance program.
Santiago revealed that with this kind of education assistance, more poor but deserving students in their College have been very grateful for reducing their school payments.
In her recent State of the Nation Address (SONA), President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo disclosed that 47 percent of students in private high schools in the country have been provided government assistance including the funding for technical education and skills training which is three times larger than the budget allocated to such training by previous administrations.
President Arroyo cited that her administration’s top investment is in education, skills development and training.
She said that education is the great equalizer that allows every young Filipino a chance to realize their dreams.
The President also said that education is a tool in reducing poverty as well as attaining the country’s development goals.
Accordingly, the government, she said, has provided P1.5 billion fund for 100,000 teachers’ training in English teaching and directed the removal of miscellaneous fees in school expenses; removal of the requirement to wear school uniforms; and scholarships extended to 600,000 College and Post-Graduates.
Aside from this, the President revealed that the Presidential Task Force on Education has already envisioned a “Philippine Main Education Highway” to better our education system. (PIA/Jemin B. Guillermo)