HOUSE Minority Leader Marcelino Libanan on Monday announced that Congress has earmarked ₱41 billion this year to subsidize the tuition of underprivileged students who enroll in private high schools due to a shortage of public schools or severe overcrowding in their communities.

Libanan, representing the 4Ps party-list, said the allocation is expected to benefit around 2.58 million students from low-income households or those displaced by overcrowding in public schools.

“This allocation will enable an estimated 2.58 million students to pursue and complete their secondary education in private schools,” Libanan said.
“The funding will help ensure more students stay in school, especially as many families face economic pressures and students are at risk of dropping out for immediate income,” he added.

The ₱41-billion subsidy is divided across three major programs:

₱12.3 billion for the Junior High School Educational Service Contracting Program (JHSESC)

₱26.5 billion for the Senior High School Voucher Program (SHSVP)

₱2.2 billion for the Joint Delivery Voucher Program (JDVP)

Data from the Second Congressional Commission on Education show that a significant number of senior high school students fail to complete their studies. In School Year 2024–2025, 2,041,601 students enrolled in Grade 11, but 169,836—or 8.3 percent—did not advance to Grade 12.

“Keeping more students in school is not just an education policy — it is an economic safeguard for our families and our future workforce,” Libanan emphasized.
“Supporting students through financial hardship gives them a real chance to finish their studies and break the cycle of poverty.”

The programs function as follows:

JHSESC allows primarily public elementary graduates to enroll in Grades 7–10 in private high schools contracted by DepEd.

SHSVP provides tuition assistance to qualified Grade 10 completers for Grades 11–12 in participating private high schools.

JDVP grants tuition support to senior high school students in technical-vocational-livelihood tracks, allowing them to study in private institutions or non-DepEd schools offering specialized courses.

The Department of Education jointly manages the SHSVP and JHSESC with the Private Education Assistance Committee, while the JDVP is administered solely by DepEd.