IMINUNGKAHI ni Batangas 1st District Rep. Leandro Legarda Leviste sa ginanap na pagdinig sa badyet ng Commission on Higher Education (CHED) na maglaan ng iskolarship o tulong pang-edukasyon sa lahat ng estudyanteng nasa kolehiyo sa taong 2026, na popondohan mula sa savings sa mga proyekto ng Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

“This is a very good program, but at the moment, because of budgetary constraints, pinipili lang po natin ang mga beneficiaries sa program na ito. Mas marami din pong makikinabang kung automatic na lang po na lahat ng mga qualified na mga estudyante ay mabibigyan ng Tulong Dunong, budget permitting po, would you agree Madame Chair?” tanong ni Leviste.

Nagbigay ng tugon si CHED Chairperson Shirley Agrupis, aniya: “Kung may budget po, sino pang maghihindi na hindi matulungan ang mga nangangailangan na estudyante?”

Ipinaliwanag ni Leviste na, “Perhaps we can fund the extension of the Tulong Dunong Program to every qualified student by reducing the DPWH budget by around 5 percent, and I would be

constrained on saying what Congress can do for the whole country, but just speaking on behalf of my own district, if my own district would need around P300 million to give every potential

student a slot under the Tulong Dunong Program, and our district would have, let’s say, around P2 billion of roads under the proposed DPWH budget for 2026, that perhaps we could fund

extending slots for Tulong Dunong to every college student who is qualified to receive it in the 1st District of Batangas by reducing the unit cost of the roads of DPWH by 15 percent, without

reducing the kilometers of roads that are being constructed in my district in 2026.”

“Merely by reducing the cost per kilometer by 15 percent, we can give every college student in my district a slot under the Tulong Dunong Program if they qualify for this program,” dagdag pa niya.

Naglahad ng mosyon si Leviste, aniya: “So I would just like to ask the Committee on Appropriations if we can kindly make an amendment, at least in the 1st District of Batangas, if we can kindly

reduce the unit costs of roads of the Department of Public Works and Highways so that we can guarantee to every student in the 1st District of Batangas that they, if they are qualified for the

Tulong Dunong Program of CHED, will be able to receive a Tulong Dunong Program slot or another form of educational assistance.”

Bilang vice chairman ng House committee on appropriations, nakatuon si Leviste sa pagbawas ng pag-aaksaya sa pambansang badyet at paglalaan sa savings para sa edukasyon upang wakasan ang kahirapan sa Pilipinas.

Kinilala ng House committee on appropriations ang motion ni Leviste na bawasan ang unit cost ng mga proyekto ng DPWH at magbigay ng educational assistance sa bawat estudyanteng nasa kolehiyo sa 1st District ng Batangas.

Noong unang araw ng kanyang termino, Hunyo 30, 2025, inihain ni Leviste ang House Bill No. 27 na naglalayong magbigay ng P1,000 buwanang allowance sa bawat estudyanteng Pilipino mula kindergarten hanggang kolehiyo sa pampubliko o pribadong paaralan.

Bagaman hindi pa ito naaaprubahan ng Kongreso, nakikita ni Leviste ang potensyal na gamitin ang savings ng pamahalaan upang pondohan ang pilot implementation ng programang ito sa 2026 budget.