MANILA, Philippines — Naghain si House Senior Deputy Minority Leader at Mamamayang Liberal Party-list Rep. Leila de Lima ng panukalang magbibigay ng 20 porsiyentong diskwento sa mobile load at internet services para sa mga estudyanteng Pilipino.
Sa ilalim ng House Bill No. 9859 o Student Discount Para Sa Load Act, makikinabang sa diskwento ang mga mag-aaral na naka-enroll sa mga kinikilalang elementarya, sekondarya, technical-vocational, at higher education institutions, maliban sa mga nasa postgraduate programs.
Ayon kay De Lima, layunin ng panukala na mabawasan ang gastusin ng mga estudyante at matugunan ang digital accessibility gap na nakaaapekto sa kalidad ng edukasyon.
“In the Philippines, the deepening digital divide exacerbates deep-rooted injustices in the education sector that leave students from underprivileged families and communities behind as they struggle to keep up with various learning expenses not covered by existing public education, scholarship, and learning subsidy programs,” ani De Lima.
Saklaw ng panukala ang prepaid mobile load para sa text, tawag, at data, gayundin ang postpaid mobile plans at broadband at internet services na ginagamit para sa pag-aaral.
Kung maisasabatas, ang National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) at Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) ang mangangasiwa sa pagpapatupad nito, habang oobligahin ang mga telecommunications companies na magsumite ng quarterly compliance reports.
Binigyang-diin ni De Lima na nananatiling mahalaga ang internet at iba pang digital tools sa edukasyon kahit nagbalik na sa face-to-face classes ang karamihan sa mga paaralan.
“In today’s digital age, equal access to quality education is inextricably linked to digital connectivity or access to internet services. As the role of digital tools continues to expand, unequal access to technology serves as a barrier to quality education,” dagdag niya. RNT
