SENATOR Christopher “Bong” Go has welcomed the Senate’s approval on third and final reading of the proposed Presidential Merit Scholarship Program Act, saying the measure would expand higher education opportunities for academically outstanding but financially challenged Filipino students.

Senate Bill No. 2410 seeks to institutionalize the Presidential Merit Scholarship Program under the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), placing the existing merit scholarship initiative on a permanent legal footing.

As a co-sponsor of the bill, Go said the measure would ensure that deserving students have the opportunity to pursue a college education regardless of their financial circumstances.

The program is intended to support top-performing senior high school graduates enrolled in CHED-identified priority degree programs aligned with the country’s workforce and development needs.

The proposed scholarship would complement existing government education assistance by providing tuition support, stipends, and other education-related allowances, subject to program guidelines and available funding.

Go, who chairs the Senate Committee on Youth, reiterated that education should remain accessible to all.

“Education is a right, not a privilege,” Go said, stressing that investing in the education of young Filipinos is key to securing their future and the country’s progress.

The senator noted that the House of Representatives had earlier approved its counterpart measure, House Bill No. 8477, bringing the proposal closer to becoming law.

According to Go, the scholarship program would also support the government’s broader efforts to develop professionals for critical and hard-to-fill occupations while helping prevent talented students from abandoning their studies because of financial hardship.

His support for the measure follows the enactment of Republic Act No. 12325, which strengthened the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education framework and improved the targeting of tertiary education subsidies for students most in need.

Go expressed hope that the Senate-approved bill would soon be enacted, providing another pathway for exceptional Filipino students to complete their degrees and contribute their skills to national development.