PRESS RELEASE Romulo Chaired Committee on Higher and Technical Education Acts on 47 Bills in Three Meetings A total of 47 bills have been tackled by the Committee on Higher and Technical Education (CHTE) under Rep. Roman T. Romulo in just three Committee meetings that it conducted over the last three weeks, making it the committee with the most number of national bills acted upon. The CHTE, which is also the first Committee in the Social Services Cluster to conduct an organizational meeting, as well as weekly committee meetings, deliberated on the bills strengthening the ladderized interface between technical-vocational education and training and higher education and those institutionalizing open learning and distance education in higher and technical education on its first Committee meeting held last August 28, 2013. The substitute version of the ladderized education bills was finalized by a Technical Working Group (TWG), which convened on September 3, 2013. It was approved by the Committee on September 4, 2013 – the first bill approved at the Committee level of the House, with the exception of the proposed General Appropriations Act. The Committee also deliberated on several measures granting free college entrance examinations on September 4, 2013. It also tackled the bills providing discounts to underprivileged students during the same meeting. The following week, the CHTE deliberated on House Bill 1289 or the proposed Voluntary Student Loan Program by Banks, which was filed by Rep. Romulo, as well as on 27 other measures on the provision of scholarships, student loans and grants to deserving students. Six other measures that have been referred to the CHTE after its conduct of initial deliberation on similar bills are set to be consolidated with the other tackled bills. The Committee will also conduct TWG meetings this coming two-week congressional recess to consolidate and refine the provisions of 32 bills on grants, student loans and scholarships earlier tackled by the CHTE and those newly referred to the Committee. The TWG will also finalize the substitute version of HB 1289, which will tap banks to help in the student loan program on a voluntary basis as part of their corporate social responsibility through private-public partnership. In return, they will receive tax incentives. The substitute bills of the said measures are expected to be included in the agenda of the fourth regular meeting of the Committee on October 16, 2013.
Posted on: Thu, 27 Feb 2014 05:32:15 +0000
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