The Commission on Higher Education, or CHEd, has allotted more funds for the free higher education of indigent students in the next academic year, Chairperson Prospero de Vera III said yesterday.

"One of the changes that we will do starting next year is that government's assistance is really focused on the 'Listahanan' beneficiaries," De Vera told the DAILY TRIBUNE, adding that around P6 billion has been allotted for the free higher education of Listahanan beneficiaries in 2024.

Under the law, students who are Listahanan beneficiaries are those considered the poorest of the poor who shall receive priority for free higher education by the government.

De Vera said lawmakers in both houses of Congress have agreed to put more funds in the Listahanan.

There are more than 200,000 Listahanan beneficiaries, while more than 100,000 new students will be added in the next school year.

"In fact, we expect a special provision in the 2024 GAA (General Appropriations Act) to say that if there were funds available for the stipends of students, then we will prioritize the Listahanan students," he said.

According to De Vera, only a few Listahanan beneficiaries students were enrolled in the universities compared to private schools.

"If we still have Listahanan beneficiaries, we will prioritize them to increase the percentage of enrollees coming from this sector," De Vera said.

De Vera said the Department of Social Welfare and Development is publishing its Listahanan 3.0.

Under the law, students who are Listahanan beneficiaries are those considered the poorest of the poor who shall receive priority for free higher education by the government.

"Their (DSWD) new database is already finished. That's where we'll match because the problem in Listahanan 2.0 is there were poor students who were not in the Listahanan for whatever reason, so they will not qualify," he said.

"Now that we have the Listahanan 3.0, maybe it captured the poorest ones," De Vera said.

"We already have an agreement with DSWD to access the database. In fact, the DSWD has already replied to my letter to the Secretary (Rex Gatchalian) to access the database available to CHEd for 2024," he added.

There are more than 200,000 Listahanan beneficiaries, while more than 100,000 new students will be added in the next school year.

"We have to continue pushing to improve the implementation of the higher education law so that its intervention is really targeted. We are now reviewing the IRR [implementing rules and regulations] and what can be done," De Vera said.