SENATE President Juan Miguel Zubiri on Monday admitted that there is a need to amend the economic provision of the Constitution about the investment in education.

Zubiri has filed a resolution of both Houses (Number 6) proposing amendments to economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines, particularly on Articles 12, 14, and 16.

Article 12 tackles the country’s National Economy and Patrimony while Article 14 is about Education, Science and Technology, Arts, Culture, and Sports, and Article 16 deals with General Provisions.

Based on the resolution, Section 5 of Article 14 be amended as: “BASIC educational institutions, other than those established by religious groups and mission boards, shall be owned solely by citizens of the Philippines or corporations or associations at least sixty percent of the capital which is owned by such citizens. The Congress, however, requires increased Filipino equity participation in all educational institutions. The control and administration of educational institutions shall be vested in citizens of the Philippines UNLESS OTHERWISE PROVIDED BY LAW.”

“Lahat po kami ay naniniwala bakit hindi makapasok ang Harvard dito, ang Yale, ang Standford? Pwede naman sila mag-setup ng eskwelahan dito. They do it in Singapore, they do it in other countries so we should allow them para tumaas naman ang kalidad ng ating edukasyon,” Zubiri said.

The Senate leader also explained that the resolution also aims to avert a constitutional crisis between the House of Representatives and the Senate.

“And to make it clear that there are no other planned provisions or amendments on any other thing but purely economic in nature,” Zubiri said in a press conference.

“Tatatlo lang yung topic dito and napakasimple, napakalinaw. So, eto po ay gagawin natin para sa ganun ay we preserve the bicameralism of both the House of Representatives and the Senate,” he added.

The resolution is expected to be tackled by the House Subcommittee on Constitutional Amendments which will be chaired by Senator Juan Edgardo Angara.