A MEASURE establishing the Dinagat Islands State College was approved in the committee level in the House of Representatives.
House Committee on Higher and Technical Education has approved House Bill 321 filed by Dinagat Islands Rep. Alan 1 Ecleo.
During its initial deliberations, the passage of the bill in the committee level was deferred because of the Commission on Higher Education’s concerns about the establishment of a publicly-funded Higher Education Institution (HEI) in Dinagat Islands.
“Since the deferment of its initial deliberation last March 13, we have explored all alternative and possible means of providing quality higher education to the people of Dinagat Islands,” Ecleo said.
“We believe that Dinagatnon students should not have to leave their families and their homes in order to pursue a better life through higher education,” he added.
Ecleo said that aside from matriculation, prospective college students face costs related to transportation, lodging, and other necessary expenses, which all can be mitigated by having a publicly-funded higher education institution (HEI) within the province.
He said the establishment of a State College will encourage more Dinagat Islands students to pursue degrees that are relevant to their lives, communities, and need for employment.
Ecleo, who chairs the Committee on Disaster Resilience, also pushed for the passage of a consolidated bill enabling a moratorium on student loan payments for college students during times of crises, in a joint Committee Hearing with the House Committee on Higher and Technical Education held earlier in the same day.
“Students who contract student loans are already saddled with financial burdens that would only be compounded by the devastating effects of natural and climate-related disasters,” Ecleo said.
