The city council on April 20 approved two resolutions calling for a refund and discount on school fees in favor of students currently enrolled in various schools in the city.
Through Resolution 232-2020, Councilor Levy Lloyd Orcales, Sangguniang Kabataan Federation President, requested all private universities in the city to study the possibility of refunding school fees that remain unused by the students due to the suspension of classes in the wake of the Coronavirus threat.
Orcales notes that the second semester of Academic Year 2019-2020 started in January of this year but was disrupted due to the unforeseen suspension of classes in all levels for public and private schools from March 13 to March 22 which was further extended until May 31.
According to Orcales, students have already partially or fully paid their tuition fees, miscellaneous fees, and other fees at the onset of the ongoing semester.
The SK president asserts students were not able to utilize school facilities and services due to the class suspension, hence, laboratory fees, library fees, miscellaneous fees, and other fees were left unused.
Meanwhile, Councilor Vladimir Cayabas, chairperson of the Committee on Education, filed a separate legislation (Resolution 229-2020) requesting Baguio-based schools, universities, colleges, and training centers to grant tuition fee discounts to all currently enrolled students.
Cayabas argues that the imposed community quarantine “has disrupted the livelihood and source of income of parents or guardians” which has affected their capacity to pay for the school expenses of their children/wards.
Owing to the discussion raised by two councilors during the regular session, Cayabas amended the resolution to append a proviso stating the grant of tuition fee discounts to students should not entail loss of salaries of regular employees.
“While we acknowledge that these institutions are not spared from the negative impact, this should not be the main reason not to pay their regular employees,” Cayabas wrote.
Councilor Philian Weygan-Allan stressed that salaries of regular teachers and other personnel come from tuition and miscellaneous fees. She inquired if there were measures/programs put in place to assist private schools in providing salaries for their employees covering the period of the class suspension.
Concurring with Weygan-Allan, Councilor Betty Lourdes Tabanda stated that many private schools were not able to apply for the COVID-19 Adjustment Measures Program (CAMP) of the Department of Labor and Employment for the provision of financial aid to their employees.
The city council then invited representatives of the Department of Education, Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, and private schools in the city to thresh out existing issues regarding COVID-19 which has affected the education sector as well. The forum was set forMay.
On March 18, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) made an appeal to private higher education institutions to find “considerate and compassionate ways” to assist students either by cancelling the collection of fees, suspending penalties of late payments, or allowing payment on staggered basis without compromising the salaries of their faculty and school personnel.
“This will alleviate the concerns of students who are unable to pay because of the travel restrictions or the projected loss of income during the quarantine period,” CHED Chairperson Prospero de Vera III stated in his letter. **Jordan G. Habbiling
