Sa ikatlo at huling pagbasa, inaprubahan ng Senado ang kambal na hakbang sa edukasyon na sumusuporta sa mga estudyante laban sa patakarang “no permit, no exam”; at ang pagsususpinde ng pagbabayad ng mga pautang sa mag-aaral sa panahon ng kalamidad at national emergency.
Ayon sa Public Relations and Information Bureau (PRIB) ng Senado, ang lahat ng 22 senador na dumalo sa plenaryo ay nagkakaisang bumoto sa pagsuporta sa Senate Bill Nos. (SBN) 1359 (‘No Permit, No Exam’ Prohibition Act) at 1864 (Student Loan Payment Moratorium During Disasters and Emergencies Act).
“The main purpose of SBN 1359 is to prohibit the ‘No Permit, No Exam’ rule and to disallow any policy that bars students from taking educational assessments due to unpaid financial or property obligations, such as tuition and other school fees in both public and private schools,” pagbibigay-diin nito.
Ang naaprubahang panukala ay nagbabawal din sa mga paaralan na pilitin ang mga mag-aaral at kanilang mga magulang o legal na tagapag-alaga na magbayad ng isang bahagi ng hindi pa nababayarang obligasyong pinansyal.
“The approved measure also forbids schools to compel students and their parents or legal guardians to pay a portion of the outstanding financial obligation. Instead, schools are encouraged to enforce other interventions such as withholding the release of diplomas or certificates, denying admission or enrolment in the succeeding school year or semester, refusing the issuance of applicable clearances, and pursuing the settlement of outstanding financial or property obligations through appropriate legal action,” pagpapatuloy ng PRIB.
Ang SB 1359 ay inakda nina Senate President Juan Miguel “Migz” F. Zubiri, Senate President Pro-Tempore Loren Legarda, Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva, at Senators Ramon Bong Revilla Jr., Ronald “Bato” M. Dela Rosa, Cynthia Villar, Francis “Chiz” Escudero, Win Gatchalian, Manuel “Lito” Lapid, Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada, at Christopher Lawrence T. Go.
“On the other hand, SBN 1864 provides a respite for college students from paying their financial obligations to their schools if they fall during a declaration of either a national or local state of calamity in the area where they are located,” sinabi pa ng PRIB.
Magiging epektibo ang moratorium sa panahon ng state of calamity o emergency at 30 araw pagkatapos alisin ang naturang state of calamity o emergency. Sa panahong iyon, walang multa o interes na kokolektahin sa mga ipinagpaliban na pagbabayad.
Ang SBN 1864 ay iniakda rin nina Senators Zubiri, Legarda, Villanueva, Lapid, Escudero, Revilla at Go.
