Speech by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. at the Ceremonial Signing of the Amendments to the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act

Thank you to our DepEd Secretary, Secretary Sonny Angara. [Please, be seated]

Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian and the Honorable Members of the Senate; House Speaker Bojie Dy and the Members of the House of Representatives; Members of the Cabinet here present; our Student Beneficiaries and other stakeholders, possibly the most important guest that we have here this morning; my fellow workers in government; distinguished guest; ladies and gentlemen.

Good morning.

It is a great honor for me to finally sign the Act Enhancing the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act.

This Act reflects what our Bagong Pilipinas should always be: a country where every young Filipino, especially the most disadvantaged, has an equal chance at a quality tertiary education.

It is a measure that builds on the government’s promise and strengthens it for the years to come—bringing us closer to a future where every Filipino family has at least one child who completes a bachelor’s degree or a technical-vocational education and training (TVET) program.

Free tuition removed a major barrier to tertiary education, but families still face the cost of books, transportation, daily expenses, and other requirements that can prevent students and trainees from completing their studies.

While we have opened the doors of our public colleges, universities, and technical-vocational institutions, the responsibility of government does not end there. We must help all our learners remain in school or training until they complete their studies and acquire the skills that they need to succeed.

The original law made tuition and other school fees free in public higher education and state-run technical-vocational institutions, while providing assistance to learners with limited financial means through the Tertiary Education Subsidy.

Today, we take that another step further.

The amendments ensure that government assistance reaches those who need it most, particularly students from poor and disadvantaged families, including qualified 4Ps beneficiaries.

Poor and deserving students taking priority programs who are not covered by existing grants may also receive government support to pursue their studies in qualified private higher education and technical-vocational institutions. This expands the opportunities for more Filipinos to earn a degree, a diploma, or skills qualification.

Of course, this Act builds on a record this Administration has been building on since day one.

We have increased Free Higher Education beneficiaries from two million students to now two point six (2.6) million students in the first semester of this academic year.

In January of this year, we launched the Bagong Pilipinas Merit Scholarship Program, which caters to outstanding Senior High School graduates pursuing priority degree programs in higher education or priority TVET diploma programs.

And through the DOST-Science Education Institute, we have increased the number of undergraduate scholars from around forty-five thousand (45,024) scholars in School Year 2022-2023 to more than forty-eight thousand in school—to be precise, 48,520 in School Year 2025-2026. [applause]

We often speak of our youth as the seeds of our nation’s future.

We hope to see them grow and thrive, and reach their full potential. But even the strongest seeds cannot flourish without fertile ground.

And that is why expanding access and improving the quality of our tertiary education are among the most important investments we can make in our people and in the future of our country.

In 2022, only twelve (12) of our local colleges made it to the World University Rankings for Innovation. Today, one hundred and forty (140) of our colleges have made it into the same rankings [applause]. This is a result of deliberate choices that have been made by government.

Tulad lang ng nabanggit ko sa aking SONA ngayong taon, ang edukasyon pa rin ang pangunahing nagtataguyod ng kakayahan, kung kaya ito ang nangunguna sa listahan ng aking Administrasyon.

At patuloy nating tutuparin ang pangakong ito.

Today’s ceremonial signing reaffirms our long-term commitment to expanding access to quality tertiary education for each and every Filipino.

We will sustain this support year after year, because every learner who completes a college degree or TVET program brings greater opportunity to a family and strengthens our nation with a more skilled, productive, and empowered citizenry.

At sa ating mga benepisyaryo, ang mahabang landas ay nasa inyong harapan, ngunit hindi ninyo kailangan maglakad nang nag-iisa.

Narito ang inyong pamahalaan upang tulungan kayong makapasok, manatili, at makatapos sa paaralan o pagsasanay.

I thank the members of the House of Representatives and the Senate for working together to pass this important measure for our students and for their families.

Now, the implementation falls on the Executive.
The CHED, TESDA, UniFAST, and all concerned agencies are hereby directed to complete the implementing rules and regulations within the period required by law and ensure the smooth implementation of this measure.

Today we make good on our promise of quality education by strengthening its foundation and expanding opportunities for millions of Filipino learners.

May we continue to give every Filipino learner not only the chance to begin, but also the support needed to finish what they have begun.

Every learner who completes a college degree or a TVET program brings greater hope to a family, greater opportunity for their communities, and greater strength to our nation.

Maraming salamat po.

Mabuhay ang ating mga kabataan!

Mabuhay ang Bagong Pilipinas! [applause]

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