DAVAO CITY, Philippines – The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) approved the application of 32 colleges and universities in Davao Region, half of these found in this city, to increase tuition and school fees for this school year.
Nationwide, the CHED approved 268 private higher education institutions (HEI), 16 percent of the total number of 1,652 private HEIs in the country, to increase tuition and other school fees for the incoming school year 2017-2018.
In a statement, CHED chairperson Patricia B. Licuanan said “(I)n the light of contending concerns and interests in society, there is a need to balance access issues with sustainability of educational institutions.”
She added that the schools must undergo “consultation, the proper allocation of tuition fees, and strict adherence with the processes that seek to make tuition and other school fee increases transparent, reasonable and affordable.”
The CHED has also allowed 237 schools to increase other school fees this year.
Double the price
The average tuition and other school fees hike doubled from last year’s P43.39 to this year’s P86.68 for tuition per unit and from P115.58 to P243.00 for other school fees.
|
SCHOOL |
AVERAGE INCREASE IN TUITION PER UNIT |
AVERAGE INCREASE IN OTHER FEES |
|
Arriesgado College Foundation |
P9.47 |
no increase |
| Assumption College of Nabunturan |
P12.76 |
P2.59 |
| Ateneo de Davao University |
P61.99 |
P30.90 |
| Cor Jesu College |
P11.49 |
P13.07 |
| Davao Doctors College |
P18.82 |
P2.11 |
|
Davao Medical School FoundationCollege |
P21.21 |
P27.12 |
| DMMA College of Southern Philippines |
P11.59 |
P16.47 |
| General Baptist Bible College |
P5.49 |
P6.86 |
| Holy Child School of Davao |
P10.66 |
P1.74 |
| Holy Cross Academy of Sasa |
P10.68 |
P5.89 |
| Holy Cross College of Calinan |
P49.75 |
P17.09 |
| Holy Cross of Davao College |
P39.57 |
P12.39 |
| Institute of International Culinary and Hospitality Entrepreneurship Inc. |
P17.98 |
P81.02 |
| Joji Ilagan Career Center Foundation |
P17.98 |
P32.21 |
| Jose Maria College |
P10.67 |
P7.36 |
| Kapalong College of Agriculture,Sciences and
Technology |
P35.33 |
P7.67 |
| North Davao Colleges-Panabo |
P7.93 |
P6.93 |
| Philippine College of Technology |
P64.56 |
P111.73 |
| Philippine Women’s College of Davao |
P25.00 |
P8.87 |
| Polytechnic College of Davao del Sur |
P11.19 |
P0.78 |
| Saint Francis Xavier College Seminary |
P8.45 |
no increase |
| Saint Mary’s College of Tagum |
P15.80 |
P8.67 |
| Saint Peter’s College of Toril |
P11.24 |
P0.56 |
| San Pedro College |
P19.47 |
P3.72 |
| Serapion C. Basalo MemorialFoundation College |
P7.81 |
P8.66 |
| St. Mary’s College Baganga |
P4.16 |
P0.24 |
| St. Thomas More School of Law andBusiness |
no increase |
P151.64 |
| STI-College Davao |
P28.00 |
P47.38 |
| Tagum Doctors College |
P11.96 |
P12.50 |
|
Tecarro College Foundation |
P10.70 |
P8.66 |
| University of Mindanao |
P28.28 |
P27.90 |
|
University of the ImmaculateConception |
P22.62 |
P1.42 |
No consultation
A student from Ateneo De Davao University lamented that students were not consulted properly on the university’s implementation of 5% increase in tuition and other fees.
“The consultation conducted during the second semester of the previous school year was not a consultation. It was more of a presentation of their proposed increase. There were only five students during the first consultation, and more than 20 students during the second,” said Megue Monteverde, incoming fourth year BS Social Work student.
She also scored the increase in the fees as additional burden for their parents.
“Not all students in Ateneo are rich; there are students who cannot afford it anymore. Every year, tuition and other fees increase along with skyrocketing prices of basic commodities while our parents’ salaries remain the same,” Monteverde lamented.
Commercialization
In a study released by Kabataan Partylist last February 2016, it was revealed that both tuition rates and profits of private universities have almost doubled during the previous Aquino government.
The youth group also denounced CHED’s approval of increases in tuition and other school fees, stating that it reinforced the “commercialized orientation of education” in the country.
“For sure, the fee hikes will impact students enrolled in these schools, who are already shouldering the high costs of tuition and other redundant and dubious fees, notwithstanding other expenses related to their education,” said Kabataan Partylist Rep. Sarah Elago. (davaotoday.com)
