Duterte giveth, Diokno taketh
His quest to repeal RA 10931 has fallen short of capturing the long-term benefits of investing in education to improve the lives of underprivileged youngsters.
Daily TribuneHis quest to repeal RA 10931 has fallen short of capturing the long-term benefits of investing in education to improve the lives of underprivileged youngsters.
Since his call in 2017 to veto Republic Act 10931, the law granting free higher education, Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno has been singing the same dissonant melody. A similar theme can be heard in his most recent attempt to cast doubt on the program's long-term viability, which is frequently praised as one of the Duterte administration's legacies.
However, as Diokno continues to bang his well-worn drum, it becomes increasingly obvious that his arguments are out of tune and lacking in both substance and harmony. The frequently repeated assertion by Diokno that the free college program is "anti-poor" because of its supposed bias toward wealthy students doesn't ring true with logic or facts.
His claim that wealthy students have supplanted their less advantaged peers in the competition for openings at state universities and colleges lacks supporting data. He tries to play the fiscal unsustainability card by asserting that the program is an exorbitant financial burden for the government.
This perspective is myopic because education spending continues to be one of the most effective ways to boost the economy and create jobs. In fact, a World Bank report has said that every dollar spent on education generates ten times as much in economic benefits, thus emphasizing the real worth of such expenditures under RA 10931.
Additionally, Diokno ignores the reality that the program has been in force since 2018 after President Duterte rebuffed his veto campaign. After six years of effective implementation, for Diokno to suddenly pronounce it untenable sounds more like pessimism than a valid criticism.
Diokno also veers away from the upbeat chorus that is led by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his predecessor, former President Duterte, as he continues to play his dirge. His persistent pessimism has turned him into a maestro of despair rather than a conductor of progress.
The Finance chief certainly needs a lot of the can-do attitude of both Marcos and Duterte, the latter with the bravado and tenacity he showed in guiding the country through the turbulent waters of the Covid-19 pandemic. Diokno should learn to instill confidence in the hearts of the populace, or he should just hand the job to someone who would tackle it with more vigor.
Diokno claims that wealthy kids who can afford review lessons and other incidental costs are disproportionately benefited by RA 10931. This claim is again without basis as a lot of impoverished students have gained access to higher education without having to pay tuition thanks to this law.
A thorough assessment by the Commission on Higher Education showed that the free college program has dramatically increased enrollment rates among students from low-income families. This should lay bare the falsity of Diokno's claims. If we may add, the CHEd study also resonated with people by emphasizing its contribution to closing the achievement gap between the affluent and the less fortunate.
Probably most befuddling of all was Diokno's unsettling claim that the program benefits students who live close to public universities and colleges. This conflicts with what we see on the ground, of students renting bed space or living with their relatives so they can be near their schools, wherever they may be located. Additionally, the value of an educated citizenry transcends geographical boundaries in the grand scheme of nation-building.
It's ironic that for a Finance chief, the needed comprehension of the complexity of not only our economy and the numbers but also how they relate to society and people seems absent from Diokno's spiel opposing free higher education. His quest to repeal RA 10931 has fallen short of capturing the long-term benefits of investing in education to improve the lives of underprivileged youngsters.
Diokno's desire to take away what Duterte and Congress have given would be a step backward and an assult in the minds of millions of Filipino students.
While undermining President Duterte's legacy, Diokno's dissonant song poses a threat to muffle the dreams of numerous Filipino students, one that is intended to deprive them of the opportunity to pursue higher education and the prospect of a better future.
