Article XIV Section 1 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution states that The

state shall protect and promote the right of all the citizens to quality education
at all levels and shall take appropriate steps to make such education accessible
to all. Despite this constitutional provision and having world class laws in line
with education, we still fall short with our neighboring countries in producing
globally competent students through academic excellence.
We, the proponents of this bill, are here to renew the states
constitutionally mandated duty to make education its top budgetary priority by
creating a system that would provide tuition-free to higher education courses in
state universities and colleges provided they maintain a weighted average of 88
percent every semester.
With this type of scholarship that we wish to provide, we want each
student to really push themselves and really show that they want to achieve
their dreams, which will ultimately bring an end result of producing global
competent students for the benefit of themselves and of the Philippine nation
as well. Many Filipino students have the capacity to study and yet waste such
opportunity because they think they lack the appropriate resources for their
schooling. Now, it is time to give a chance to those who really want to learn and
give them the opportunity that each and every one of them deserves. That is
why the aim of this legislation is not to provide an ordinary scholarship
commonly given by the universities and colleges themselves, but a scholarship
given to those who are willing and very much deserve.
It is time for us to secure, once and for all, the Filipinos right to higher
education through decisive action. It is time for us to institute a reform which
will ensure that the deserving but underprivileged young men and women, who
has that burning desire to achieve great things, be given their rightful
opportunity to pursue a college degree. By passing this legislation, we are
making a genuine and tangible collective commitment to building the worldclass education system that our people deserve, producing world-class
professionals that we can proud of.
We all know that in this current time, there is no such thing as
something FREE, and the best way to achieve what we want in life is to work

hard and earning it made from our own blood sweat and tears. The same
concept goes to our education.
With this in mind, ladies and gentlemen, I will be Leaving you with a
simple quotation for you to ponder upon
There is no right to free higher education. Higher education in itself is a
privilege. And free higher education is a greater privilege.