BICOL Saro Party-list Rep. Brian Raymund Yamsuan is seeking his colleagues’ support on the passage of a measure aiming to grant a five percent discount on tuition and school supplies for underprivileged students.

House Bill 1850 or the proposed Underprivileged Students’ Discount Act states that  the beneficiaries shall be Filipino students enrolled in the basic education, post-secondary non-degree technical vocational courses, and those in bachelor’s degree programs at the college level, whose parents have a gross annual income of not more than P250,000.

“This measure will significantly provide relief to the financial woes continuously faced by poor students in pursuing their education,” Yamsuan, a co-author of the bill, said in a statement.

“A 5 percent discount may not mean much to those who can afford to buy everything they need for school. But this would be a big help to students and their families struggling to make ends meet,” he noted.

Also included in the measure are Filipino students who opt to take part-time jobs to financially support their education, and whose income combined with those of their parents do not exceed P250,000.

As stated in the bill, the discount shall also apply to prescribed electronic devices for online learning, purchase of textbooks, and the food items and medicines they consume.

The bill also entitles underprivileged students to a five percent discount on entrance fees to museums, theaters, and cultural events sanctioned by the National Commission on Culture and the Arts.

“We hope that through this measure, many underprivileged students would be encouraged to continue their studies and tread the path  toward a bright and stable future,” said Yamsuan.