Economics
Duterte Approves Free State College Fees Opposed by Budget Chief
- Free tuition could cost as much as 100 billion pesos annually
- Long-term benefits outweighed heavy budgetary implications
Rodrigo Duterte.
Photographer: Rolex Dela Pena/EPAThis article is for subscribers only.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte signed a law Thursday providing free tuition in state universities and colleges over the objection of his economics advisers who said it could cost as much as 100 billion pesos ($2 billion) a year.
The president said the long-term benefits of education outweighed the “very heavy budgetary implications”, Deputy Executive Secretary Menardo Guevarra said at a televised briefing in Manila. He said the projected cost appears to be on the high side.