ACT-CIS Party-list Rep. Jocelyn Tulfo is pushing for a measure that would prohibit secondary and higher education institutions from requiring students to complete immersion, internship programs, or on-the-job training (OJT) abroad or outside the province where the institution is located.

In her House Bill 10810, Tulfo emphasized that the Constitution guarantees all citizens the right to quality education at all levels and mandates the State to ensure equitable access, particularly for students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

“Despite this right, we received reports that certain higher education institutions impose mandatory requirements for students to undertake internships or OJT programs abroad as a condition for graduation,” Tulfo said in her explanatory note.

Tulfo explained that the mandatory nature of these requirements places an undue financial burden on students and their families, limiting their right to quality education in the country.

The proposed measure seeks to uphold every student’s right to graduate without the obligation to participate in international programs, in line with the principles of fairness, equality, and accessibility to quality education in the Philippines, ensuring no student is left behind.

However, the measure does not prevent students or their parents or guardians from voluntarily participating in immersion, internship, or OJT programs abroad or outside their province.