Education Secretary Sonny Angara lauded the congressional passage of the Basic Education Voucher Assistance Act, a landmark measure that institutionalizes private school vouchers from Kindergarten to Grade 12 and expands eligibility to middle-middle-income families.
The consolidated legislation, which successfully harmonizes Senate Bill No. 1981 and House Bill No. 4744, seeks to ease severe public school congestion while providing critical support to the private education sector.
“This milestone legislation provides a pragmatic solution to the logistical constraints of our public school system while giving middle-middle-income and below families more equitable access to quality schooling,” Secretary Angara said.
“By expanding the voucher framework, we are building more sustainable partnerships with private educational institutions, which have always been integral to our national strategy for human capital development.”
The new measure significantly broadens the government’s subsidy framework by extending tuition assistance to qualified learners from middle-middle-income households and below, expanding the reach beyond lower-income brackets.
It institutionalizes aid across the entire basic education spectrum from Kindergarten through Grade 12 and extends crucial support to learners whose preferred Senior High School tracks or strands are unavailable in nearby public schools.
Under the provisions approved by the Bicameral Conference Committee, the program prioritizes learners coming from congested public campuses, areas lacking nearby public schools, and vulnerable or disadvantaged sectors.
Qualified learners will be enabled to enroll in participating private schools through a centralized Department of Education (DepEd) registry, a system designed to strengthen monitoring, accountability, and quality assurance while providing critical welfare support to participating private institutions and teachers.
Following the bicameral approval, the bill is now subject to final ratification by both houses and approval by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. before it officially becomes law.
This legislative breakthrough complements the Department’s ongoing internal reforms under DepEd Order No. 11, s. 2026, which strengthened governance, beneficiary targeting, monitoring, accountability, and implementation under the Enhanced Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education (E-GASTPE) framework.
DepEd is expected to immediately discuss necessary preparatory actions in anticipation of the enactment of the Basic Education Voucher Assistance Act.
“We must hit the ground running with our preparatory work so that the transition is seamless and the benefits reach our learners and teachers without delay once the bill is signed into law,” Angara added.
