Tulfo pushes 20% discount on mobile, internet load for students

National

STUDENTS may soon get a break on one of the costs of online learning as Sen. Erwin Tulfo pushes for a 20-percent discount on mobile load and internet services.

Senate Bill No. 2275, or the proposed “Student Load Discount Act,” seeks to require telecommunications companies to provide the discount on mobile prepaid load, mobile postpaid plans and mobile internet packages for all eligible Filipino students.

The measure comes as severe weather conditions in recent weeks have prompted schools to shift to online classes several times.

Under the proposed legislation, the discount would cover Filipino citizens enrolled in authorized elementary, secondary, technical-vocational or higher education institutions, excluding those pursuing postgraduate studies.

The 20-percent price reduction would be available year-round, including weekends and holidays.

Tulfo said the measure seeks to institutionalize mechanisms that would ease the financial burden on students who need digital educational resources, noting that affordable connectivity could help them access more learning materials and develop digital skills needed in the modern economy.

“We have to slash this added expense from students which too often prevents [them] from keeping up with their online classes. This is our way to somehow level the playing field,” he said in an Inquirer report.

Tulfo, who chairs the Senate committee on social justice, welfare and rural development, said the traditional concept of class suspensions has changed as schools increasingly turn to online classes to prevent academic backlogs.

The senator said class suspensions now often lead schools to shift to online learning to prevent academic backlogs, unlike in the past when suspended classes simply meant no classes were held.

He added that students, particularly those from indigent families, cannot be expected to make a seamless transition to digital learning without government support, stressing that access to connectivity should not determine whether a student can continue learning.

Once enacted, the proposed law would allow students to claim the discount by presenting a valid school identification card or proof of enrollment, along with a birth certificate to establish their Filipino citizenship.

Telecommunications companies would be required to grant the discount across all eligible services, with providers that fail to comply facing penalties under the proposed measure.(MyTVCebu)