SENATOR Bam Aquino has called on the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to strengthen scholarship programs under the Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES) for underprivileged students.

Aquino expressed concern over the steady decline in TES allocations in recent years. From ₱23.4 billion in 2024, the budget dropped to ₱21.7 billion in 2025, and further to ₱20.7 billion under the 2026 National Expenditure Program.

“I will not stand for it na pababa ang scholarships ng gobyerno, especially kung nagbibigay tayo ng ayuda na scholarship rin naman ang purpose,” said Aquino, chairperson of the Committee on Basic Education and principal sponsor of the Free College Law.

“Iyong libreng kolehiyo na ito ay idaan sa mga eskuwelahan. I would prefer to give scholarships through institutions,” he added.

The TES, a major component of Republic Act 10931 or the Free College Law, provides additional financial aid to disadvantaged students for expenses such as food, books, and living costs. It also supports poor but deserving students studying in private colleges and universities.

“Bakit ang trending natin ay pababa? Ito ang subsidy sa mga estudyante natin, both public and private universities. Our poor but deserving students need to have this,” Aquino stressed.

Calling the budget cuts unacceptable, he vowed to push for restoring TES funding to 2024 levels in the 2026 appropriations.

He also questioned DBM’s justification that CHED’s “low utilization rate” was the reason for the reduction, noting many students still seek scholarships.

“Alam niyo po ba na napakaraming estudyanteng naghahanap ng scholarship. Ang No. 1 reason for dropping out is because of costs unrelated to tuition. Utilization is not a proper excuse,” Aquino said.

CHED Chairperson Shirley Agrupis backed Aquino’s call for more scholarships to be coursed through schools.

As vice chairperson of the Committee on Finance, Aquino reiterated his plan to realign portions of the 2026 flood control budget toward education.

“Ang maganda ngayon, i-match natin iyong budget, iyong tulong, at iyong atensiyon sa pagpupugay na ang free college law ay ang pinakamagandang programa,” he said.

He also shared how parents from different sectors expressed gratitude for the program: “Marami pong lumalapit—anak ng mangingisda, sari-sari store owner, magsasaka—‘Senator, magtatapos na po iyong anak ko, nakapagtapos na po siya, engineer na po siya, police na po siya, guro na po siya.’”