THE Bacolod City College (BCC) will now implement free tuition law this school year 2019-2020.

Bacolod City Lone District Representative Greg Gasataya said he received a communication from Commission on Higher Education (Ched) on Monday, June 10, 2019 that BCC is one of the local colleges or universities in the country to provide free tuition under the Universal Access to Quality Education Act.

“We’re very happy with this outcome to provide a free tuition to our students in BCC,” he said.

The memorandum was issued on May 30 and was signed by lawyer Carmelita Yadao-Sison, officer-in-charge Executive Director IV, of Unified Student Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education.

After receiving the order, Gasataya, vice chairperson of the House Committee on Higher and Technical Education, said that Ched national office will hold a meeting to the school presidents that include BCC to discuss the guidelines of said free tuition.

Gasataya noted that those who already paid their enrolment at BCC, the school will also facilitate the reimbursement of their payment.

In 2017, Gasataya along with the other local officials and personnel of BCC was facilitating its accreditation with Ched to avail the free tuition program of the national government.

In 2018, Ched approved the accreditation of the BCC to provide free tuition under the Universal Access to Quality Education Act.

“It has been a dream ever since that every family in Bacolod should have a college graduate,” Gasataya said.

He said that being a son of driver and church worker, he believes that education is a way to improve the lives of the family.

“It has been my dream ever since that every household should have a diploma,” Gasataya added.

Gasataya noted it is expected that there will be an increase in the number of enrollees in BCC and other schools due to free tuition.

“Poverty is not a hindrance to finish college, it is an opportunity for us to avail this free tuition law and we are thankful with President Rodrigo Duterte that this program will help thousands of family nationwide,” Gasataya said.

He said it’s also the right time that the city government will construct an additional building at BCC.

He added the neighboring state universities and colleges (SUCs) in Negros Occidental like the Carlos Hilado Memorial State College (CHMSC) and Technical University of the Philippines in Talisay City are also implementing the free tuition law.