Can PHP 1,000 Make a Difference? What Filipino Parents Need to Know About the Proposed Allowance for Students
What are the usual things that students spend on school?
When food and school supplies continue to increase, how can students keep up? A bill seeking to provide students from kindergarten to college with an allowance of P1,000 monthly might be able to help.
Senator Loren Legarda recently filed the National Student Allowance Program (NSAP) Act, wherein students will be provided PHP 1,000 monthly. This bill complements a similar proposal her son, Batangas congressman Leandro Leviste, filed at the House of Representatives.
What the proposal contains
Under Legarda’s proposed bill, the allowance will be granted to Filipino students who meet the required number of school attendance and cover food, transportation, and school supplies.
Allowance disbursement will be done through student cards or digital vouchers and can be used on accredited vendors, ensuring this will be used for students’ education and encouraging them to attend school regularly.
“This is not ayuda or short-term relief. This program is grounded in the belief that investing in every Filipino student is investing in the nation’s present and future,” the senator said.
“This will be structured as an allowance that can only be used for school-related expenses, like food, transportation, and school supplies. Student cards or digital vouchers also help eliminate corruption and ensure this assistance can equitably reach every student in the country,” she added.
Educating on Financial Literacy
Legarda adds that the proposed bill also promotes financial inclusion, allowing the student card to serve not only as an access point to allowance but also as a basic e-wallet, saving for them to learn budgeting and proper financial transactions.
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and the Department of Finance (DOF) are mandated to ensure this will be accessible, especially in far-flung areas.
The proposed NSAP Act is expected to assist more than 30 million students nationwide.
Calculating the expenses
While it’s still a proposed bill, lawmakers should consider the rising expenses of students. Food alone can cost P1,000 a week, assuming they allot P200 a meal, consisting of rice, viand, and drink.
Transportation will depend on distance and accessibility of commute, because it is rated differently depending on the city you live in.
For school supplies, while many go to tiangges to get affordable uniforms and materials, many prefer getting from the school bookstores or nearby sari-sari stores, depending on requirements.
While P1,000 is a good start, research must be done to get a good estimation of what students need. Inflation and extracurricular activities may need to be factored in also to the costs.
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