A PROPOSED voucher program aimed at helping disadvantaged Filipino families send their children to private K to 12 schools has advanced to the Senate plenary floor.

The measure, Senate Bill No. 1981, is backed by Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano and other lawmakers. It seeks to provide government-funded vouchers to learners from overcrowded public schools, allowing them to enroll in government-recognized private institutions. Priority will be given to students from low-income households.

Under the bill, each recipient will receive a voucher in an amount deemed “sufficient to ensure reasonable access to private education,” as determined by the Department of Education.

The measure consolidates eight proposals, including Cayetano’s Senate Bill No. 422, or the Learners Choice Act of 2025, which was inspired by the voucher program implemented in Taguig City.

Senator Bam Aquino, who sponsored the committee report as chairperson of the Basic Education Committee, expressed gratitude to Cayetano and the bill’s co-authors during his sponsorship speech.

“Karangalan po na magkakasama tayo sa laban para sa de-kalidad na edukasyon para sa ating bansa,” Aquino said.

Among the key features retained from Cayetano’s proposal is the prioritization of learners from officially recognized congested public schools, particularly those from low-income families, to help ease overcrowding.

The bill also adopts penalty provisions to prevent fraudulent practices such as ghost learners and delays in fund disbursement.

Cayetano, a former co-chairperson of the Second Congressional Commission on Education, described the measure as a step toward upholding every Filipino’s constitutional right to accessible and quality basic education.

“Basic education, especially the early years of a child’s instruction, is important in shaping their future,” he said.

“So I’d like to see the day na kapag pinanganak ka sa Pilipinas, regardless kung ano apelyido mo, kung mayaman ka o hindi, if you want to go to the best private school sa inyong province or city, you’ll have the opportunity to do that,” he added.

Under Senate Bill No. 1981, disadvantaged learners—including persons with disabilities, orphans, and those living in geographically isolated areas—will automatically qualify for vouchers.

Unlike existing subsidies under the Expanded Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education Act, where aid is tied to participating schools and limited slots, the proposed system makes vouchers learner-held and portable, giving families greater freedom to choose where their children will study.

To support informed decision-making, the bill also requires the Department of Education to publish a public database of participating private schools, including tuition fees, program offerings, and key performance indicators.

Senate Bill No. 1981 is now set for plenary debates, where Cayetano is expected to interpellate and propose further amendments.