LANAO del Norte Representatives Mohamad Khalid Dimaporo and Sittie Aminah Dimaporo are calling for an inquiry into the implementation of the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act for Mindanao State University – Iligan Institute of Technology.

The lawmakers explained that Special Provisions No. 4 of the Commission on Higher Education budget under the General Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2022 allocated funds to cover the cost of tertiary education for all Filipino students enrolled in state universities, local universities, and private higher education institutions. This funding was also meant to cover any deficiencies in appropriations needed for implementing free higher education.

However, the lawmakers noted that this provision was omitted in the General Appropriations Act for Fiscal Years 2023 and 2024, limiting MSU-IIT’s ability to submit funding requests for deficiencies in implementing free higher education.

Thus, they emphasized the need for an investigation. They reminded stakeholders that under the law, the state recognizes the complementary roles of public and private higher education institutions and the invaluable contributions of private tertiary schools.