SENATOR Sherwin Gatchalian on Tuesday urged the Department of Education to accelerate the release and distribution of financial aid to qualified learners who are facing financial difficulties because of the Covid19 pandemic.

Gatchalian made the call following the recent release of a P5,000 grant to 54,761 private school students who have unpaid tuition and miscellaneous fees.

The grant was distributed under the Bayanihan 2 for Higher Education Tulong Program by the Commission on Higher Education. CHED was allotted P300 million for the program.

Bayanihan 2 provides subsidies and allowances to qualified students in private and public elementary, secondary, and tertiary schools whose families are facing financial difficulties because of the quarantine restrictions.

Qualified students include those who are not covered by the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s Listahanan, the Education Service Contracting Program, the Senior High School Voucher Program and the Tertiary Education Subsidy.

Under Bayanihan 2, these subsidies shall be used for unpaid tuition for school year 2019-2020 or for payment of tuition for SY 2020-2021.

“Maraming mga mag-aaral ang matagal nang naghihintay ng tulong pinansiyal upang maibsan ang kanilang pangamba pagdating sa mga pangangailangan sa edukasyon. Dapat nating bigyan ng prayoridad ang mabilis na pagpapamahagi ng ayudang ito upang maiparating na natin ang tulong na matagal na nilang hinihintay,” said Gatchalian, who heads the Senate Committee on Basic Education, Arts and Culture.

The Department of Budget and Management said the Special Allotment Release Order authorizing the release of P300 million to DepEd for these subsidies was approved on December 18, 2020.