House OKs bill allowing students with unpaid fees to join graduation rites

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The House of Representatives has approved on second reading House Bill 11579 or the Kapakanan ng Magsisipagtapos Bill, which prohibits schools from denying a graduating student with financial or property obligations from participating in graduation ceremonies.

"The proposal is to allow students with outstanding property or money obligations, financial obligations to higher education institutions to be able to participate in the graduation ceremonies," House Committee on Higher Education chairperson Representative Jude Acidre said in an interview Thursday.

When asked what will happen to the students' financial or property obligations, Acidre replied, "It does not absolve them of the obligations. Hindi po quits sa mga eskwelahan ang mga kailangan bayaran."

"Pero at the very least, sana hayaan silang makapagmartsa sa entablado. ...Kasi sa tingin natin, maliit man bagay isipin, pero kasama po ng pagmartsa ng isang estudyante ang mga hinaing, ang mga pangarap, at ang tagumpay ng kanilang mga mahal sa buhay," Acidre added.

The Tingog Party-list representative also clarified that the bill also seeks to "protect also the rights of the school, and we want to make sure that this does not result in an unfair arrangement to them."

"So they are still empowered to hold the documents, the transcripts, the diploma, from being released to the students, pending the fulfillment of these financial and property obligations," he added.

The proposed measure empowers the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) to prescribe sanctions for schools that violate the measure. —LDF, GMA News