AMID proposals to reallocate portions of the flood control budget to education, Senator Bam Aquino called for the inclusion of a clear and definite budgetary requirement in the 2026 national budget to strengthen and expand the “Libreng Kolehiyo” program and all government scholarships and subsidies under it.

Aquino said this would provide the Senate with a clear basis to determine how much funding is needed to fully support Republic Act No. 10931, or the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act—also known as the Free College Law—and ensure that more students benefit from its programs, including the Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES) and the Tulong Dunong Program for both public and private school students.

“We want to expand the program, and we can do that considering we have available funds from the flood control budget,” Aquino said during a hearing of the Senate Committee on Higher, Technical and Vocational Education on measures seeking to enhance the TES and strengthen RA 10931.

Aquino, who championed and sponsored the passage of the “Libreng Kolehiyo” law in 2017 when he chaired the Senate Committee on Education, emphasized the need to secure continuous support for current beneficiaries while expanding assistance to new students.

“We have the funds. But let’s make it clear—we want students to continue receiving sufficient support until they graduate,” he said. “The assistance shouldn’t just be for 4Ps beneficiaries but also for students in need, whether in public or private schools. That was our goal when we crafted the law.”

The senator urged the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and other concerned agencies to come up with a unified and well-justified funding proposal for the 2026 budget.

“When you come back to us, it should be a number that you all agree on. We will really fight for that number, but we need to see the proper basis and logic behind it,” Aquino stressed.

He also raised concern over the declining TES budget in the past two years, noting that more underprivileged but deserving students have been left without financial assistance.

“We’re concerned about the lowering of the TES budget. We want to raise it again to ensure that all students in need receive help,” Aquino said. “Let’s make sure that poor students under the 4Ps and others who still need support can benefit from this program.”

Aquino lamented that some students have been forced to drop out due to the reduced TES coverage. To prevent this, he proposed guaranteeing that TES recipients in their first year continue to receive consistent support until they finish their degree.

“If you have TES in your first year, that support should continue for four years at the same amount,” he explained. “When the funding is reduced, families are left scrambling—parents who relied on this assistance are suddenly forced to borrow money, look for extra work, or go abroad just to keep their children in school.”

Aquino reiterated that ensuring stable and adequate funding for free college and scholarship programs is not just an investment in education but a commitment to giving every Filipino student a fair chance at a better future.