SEN. Sherwin Gatchalian urged the Commission on Higher Education to accredit more local universities and colleges so that more students from poor communities can have access to free college education.

“Let’s help the LUCs. If there are many small LUCs, they can help the SUCs decongest by accrediting them,” Gatchalian said during a Senate hearing.

The senator also thanked CHED for the accreditation of Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Valenzuela after three years.

Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri requested the Senate Committee on Finance to allocate funds for the operation of the Northern Bukidnon State College in Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon.

Zubiri said the former community college was converted into a state college in 2019 but has not received any budget.

“They are just asking for a minimal P89 million so they can start operation of the school and hopefully, we can include this in the 2021 budget,” he said.

According to him, Bukidnon was able to bring down its poverty rate from 52 percent to 31 percent because of the increase in educational satellite campuses in the province.

Education, he stressed, is the key to development and reduction of poverty incidence.