A proposal pushed by Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano to give disadvantaged K to 12 learners more school choices moved closer to becoming law on Monday, May 4, 2026, after the Senate approved a consolidated private education voucher bill on third and final reading.

Voting 22-0-0, senators passed Senate Bill No. 1981, or the proposed Basic Education Voucher Program Act, during the resumption of plenary session.

The measure incorporated key provisions of Cayetano’s Senate Bill No. 422, or The Learner’s Choice (TLC) Act of 2025, which seeks to give learners a government-funded voucher they can use in any DepEd-recognized private school of their choice.

Under the Senate-approved bill, priority will be given to learners from public schools officially found to be congested, especially those from low-income households.

The bill also covers disadvantaged learners, including persons with disabilities, orphans, learners in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas, Indigenous Peoples, and beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).

Cayetano, a former co-chairperson of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2), said the measure would help uphold every Filipino child’s right to accessible and quality basic education, while helping resolve the long-standing problem of congestion in public schools.

“The Constitution guarantees the right of every Filipino to accessible and quality education at all levels and mandates the State to take appropriate steps to make such education available to all,” he said.

“I’d like to see the day na kapag pinanganak ka sa Pilipinas, regardless kung ano apelyido mo, kung mayaman ka o hindi, if you want to go to the best private school sa inyong province or city, you’ll have the opportunity to do that,” he added.

Cayetano filed the TLC Act in July 2025, patterned after Taguig City’s voucher program, which was recognized by EDCOM 2 and identified as a model program by DepEd.

The Senate-approved version retained the core idea of the TLC Act: assistance should follow the learner, allowing families to decide which school can best serve their child.

Unlike the existing Expanded Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education program, where subsidies are coursed through participating schools and limited by allocated slots, the proposed voucher would be learner-held and portable.

It also covers all basic education learners, unlike the E-GASTPE Law which only covers specific grade levels.

Safeguards and penalties proposed by Cayetano were also included in the Senate version to prevent ghost learners, delays, and other fraudulent practices.

The bill also directs the Department of Education to keep a public database of participating private schools, including tuition fees, program offerings, capacity, and key performance indicators.

With the Senate’s approval, the landmark measure is set to be reconciled with the House version before being sent to the President for signing.###