Senatorial aspirant Pia S. Cayetano on Monday (April 29) said she plans to use Congress’ oversight function to assess whether the country’s existing education programs are truly benefiting Filipino students.
“I want to make sure that every Filipino has access to education services, and that our current laws are implemented in a manner that is consistent with our legislative intent,” Cayetano said in an interview with reporters in Lanao del Norte.
Among the education measures Cayetano authored was Republic Act 10687 or the Unified Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education Act (UniFAST).
The law properly allocates government resources to ensure efficient distribution of financial assistance programs for Filipino students. It provides scholarships and loans to students based on certain qualifications.
The congresswoman said she particularly wants to find out whether enough students are benefiting from the said measure.
“There are academically gifted students that deserve our support for their education. Those are all covered by the UniFAST law,” Cayetano noted.
“Kaya hihimayin ko ang batas na ito to be sure that it is being implemented in the way it was intended,” she added.
The senatorial candidate further expressed commitment to push for more education policies that could respond to the ever changing needs of Filipino students.
“It is very important that we are willing to adjust and make the kind of changes necessary to meet our people’s needs,” Cayetano said.
“There’s so much to be done not just in lawmaking but in pushing for policies and more budget for the proper programs, to ensure that more deserving students are able to finish their studies,” she added.#
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