Legazpi City- The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Bicol clarified on Friday that the agency is not issuing certification for inclusion as beneficiaries of the Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES) of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).

“The Listahanan database has already been shared to CHED thru the Unified Student Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education (UNIFAST) and its up to them to establish their own verification mechanism based on their eligibility criteria,” DSWD Regional Director Arnel Garcia said.

Listahanan is an information management system that aims to establish a database of poor households that serve as a basis in prioritizing the poor as beneficiaries of social protection programs.
“DSWDs mandate is to share Listahanan’s list of poor households who will be prioritized for the implementation of programs and services for the poor thus does not implement any program”, Garcia added.

Meanwhile, the agency clarified that being a Pantawid Pamilya beneficiary will not automatically entitle them of TES.
“The basis of Pantawid Pamilya came from the Listahanan 1 conducted in 2009-2010 while for the TES was derived from the Listahanan 2 result from the 2015 household assessment,” Garcia explained.

He said that for TES concerns, the public may directly inquire to the CHED’s office located at CHEDRO Building, EM’s Barrio South,Brgy. 2, Legaspi City or to the school’s TES focal person.
Under the Republic Act No. 10931 or the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act, the TES offers qualified students to pursue a college education without paying tuition fees and other school fees.

Under the program, students’ beneficiaries will get an amount of Php 40,00060,000 per year to cover for tuition fees, books, transportation, supplies, room & board, and other school expenses.