MANILA — Students from households enrolled in the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) will be given priority access to the Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES) under a measure recently ratified by the Senate.

The Senate approved the bicameral conference committee report on Senate Bill No. 1894 and House Bill No. 8476, which aim to strengthen the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act or Republic Act No. 10931.

Senate President Win Gatchalian, a co-author of the measure, said the proposed amendments would ensure that financial assistance reaches students who need it most.

Under the measure, students from households included in the latest 4Ps list will be prioritized as TES beneficiaries, provided they are enrolled in higher education institutions recognized by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) or technical-vocational institutions registered with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).

Any remaining TES slots will be allocated to other poor students based on the per capita income ranking of their households.

The TES program was established under Republic Act No. 10931 to help students cover education-related expenses, including books, transportation, lodging, internet access, and other incidental costs.

“Sa pagpapatatag natin ng batas para sa libreng kolehiyo, titiyakin nating makakaabot ang tulong pinansyal sa mga mag-aaral nating higit na kailangan. Sa ganitong paraan, matitiyak nating tuloy-tuloy silang makakatanggap ng edukasyon hanggang sa sila ay makapagtapos,” said Gatchalian.