National Student Allowance Program Act of 2025
Filed on July 9, 2025, and referred to the Committees on Basic Education, Higher, Technical and Vocational Education, Ways and Means, and Finance; it has been pending in committee since August 11, 2025.
The bill addresses financial barriers to education for students across the Philippines.
The bill responds to the ongoing financial challenges faced by students, especially those from low-income families.
National Student Allowance Program Act of 2025
The National Student Allowance Program Act of 2025 aims to establish a program providing financial assistance to Filipino students to help cover essential expenses related to their education.
Compared with current law:
No national allowance program exists for students.
Establishes a structured allowance program to support students' educational expenses.
The program aims to provide financial assistance to Filipino students to help cover essential expenses such as food, transportation, and school supplies, thereby promoting access to education.
Source · full text✦ Dashed tags are AI-suggested nuance; solid tags follow the committee taxonomy.
Stalled: has sat in committee for over 2 months with no action since August 11, 2025.
No floor deliberations yet — this measure has not reached plenary. Its committee-stage actions appear under Legislative history above.
TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES First Regular Session ) 25 JUL -9 74:03 SENATE S. No. Introduced by: Senator Loren Legarda AN ACT ESTABLISHING A NATIONAL STUDENT ALLOWANCE PROGRAM AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR EXPLANATORY NOTE The right to education, as enshrined in Article XIV, Section 1 of the 1987 Constitution, mandates the State to "protect and promote the right of all citizens to quality education at all levels and take appropriate steps to make such education accessible to all." Yet for many Filipino learners, especially those from low-income households, education remains out of reach because of the daily and compounding costs that accompany their pursuit of learning. In fact, one survey shows that the top reason hindering the youth from pursuing technical and vocational education is the lack of funding for allowances. 1 Regardless of their sex, age, and course, young people, while studying, need funds for their subsistence and other expenses. In developing countries, such as the Philippines, students rely heavily on the allowance given to them by their parents. Whether it is received daily, weekly or monthly, an allowance could serve as a social security for young people.? Many students, particularly those from economically disadvantaged households, receive little to no allowance, making it even more difficult for them to 1 https://edcom2.gov.ph/media/2023/10/pidspn2317.pdf. http://journals- jd.upm.edu.my/resources/files/Pertanika%20PAPERS/JSSH%20Vol.%2026%20(3)%20Sep.%202018/ 24%20JSSH-1951-2016.pdf.
meet the most basic requirements of attending school. The rising costs of transportation, food, school supplies, and digital needs now significantly affect students' academic performance and attendance. This allowance should not be viewed as another form of ayuda or short-term relief. Rather, it is a legitimate and equitable investment in students' access to education-designed to help cover basic recurring needs such as food, transportation, and school supplies-without which many learners would be unable to stay in school or perform well. This bill seeks to establish a National Student Allowance Program (NSAP) implemented through various disbursement mechanisms, including a student card or voucher system that students may use with accredited educational vendors and service providers, such as school canteens, transport operators, and school supply retailers. To support this, the government may offer administrative support or tax incentives to ensure that the full value of the allowance reaches the student with no deductions. This program is grounded in the belief that investing in every Filipino student, the nation's future, is investing in the present and the future. This is a worthy expenditure. In view of the foregoing, the immediate passage of this measure is earnestly sought. LOREN LEGARDA
TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES First Regular Session < JUL -9 74:03 SENATE S. No._ Introduced by: Senator Loren Legarda AN ACT ESTABLISHING A NATIONAL STUDENT ALLOWANCE PROGRAM AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:
Section 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "National Student
Allowance Program Act of 2025".
Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is the declared policy of the State to protect
and promote the right of all citizens to quality education at all levels, shall take 5 appropriate steps to make such education accessible to all by addressing financial 6 barriers that hinder school attendance, participation, and academic performance. In pursuit of this, the State shall implement a student allowance program as a 8 form of targeted, recurring assistance meant to supplement the essential daily needs 9 of students, particularly for food consumed at school, transportation to and from 10 school, and basic school supplies. This allowance shall not be construed as a form of ayuda or general welfare dole-out, but as a strategic and equitable investment in learners' continued access to education. The State shall allow for various modes of disbursement as may be determined 14 by the implementing agencies, including but not limited to voucher or student card 15 systems, taking into account accessibility, geographic limitations, and the diverse
1 contexts of students across the country, particularly those in geographically isolated 2 and disadvantaged areas (GIDAs).
Sec. 3. National Student Allowance Program (NSAP). - All Filipino students
4 enrolled at all levels, including kindergarten, elementary, high school, and college, 5 shall be entitled to an allowance of at least One Thousand Pesos (Php 1,000) at the 6 start of every school year and up to every month of the school year, at such amount 7 and frequency as may be determined by the President in consultation with the 8 Department of Education (DepEd), Commission on Higher Education (CHED), 9 Department of Budget and Management (DBM), and Department of Finance (DOF), 10 for the purpose of augmenting expenses incurred by students attending school from including but not limited to food, transportation, technology, and school supplies.
Sec. 4. Conditions for Entitlement. - A Filipino student shall receive the
allowance subject to being enrolled in school and satisfying the minimum attendance requirements for classes so far during a given month of at least Eighty Percent (80%) or as otherwise determined by the DepEd and CHED. This allowance shall be in addition to and shall not replace or diminish any other public or private scholarships, allowances, or financial aid extended to the student. Accountability measures for falsification of attendance, including administrative sanctions for school personnel and disqualification of students proven to have knowingly benefited through misrepresentation shall be strictly enforced in accordance with existing civil service rules, DepEd and CHED administrative issuances, and other applicable laws.
Sec. 5. Disbursement. - For below 18-years-old students, disbursements shall
be made to the parent or guardian, and for at least 18-years-old students, 25 disbursements shall be made directly to the student. The DepEd and the CHED shall ensure that all eligible students are provided with direct, secure, and convenient access to the allowance, either through cash, digital disbursement, or voucher-based instruments such as student identification cards or reloadable cards, which may be used with accredited educational vendors, 30 including school canteens, transportation services, and other suppliers of school- related goods.
DepEd and CHED may also enter into partnerships with banks, digital financial 2 service providers, or other accredited institutions, subject to guidelines set by the 3 Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and other relevant government agencies, to implement a disbursement system that is responsive to the varying geographic, 5 technological, and socioeconomic contexts of the beneficiaries. For this purpose, DepEd and CHED shall develop a system for the registration 7 and accreditation of educational vendors and service providers, including but not limited to school canteens, school transport operators, bookstores, and school supply retailers, in coordination with relevant local government units and agencies.
Sec. 6. Financial Inclusion. - The disbursement system, through card or
11 voucher, shall be designed to support digital financial inclusion, allowing students to use the card not only to access their allowance but also as a basic savings or e-wallet account, subject to applicable regulations. The BSP and partner financial institutions shall ensure that the system promotes secure and inclusive access to financial services, especially for students in remote or underserved areas.
Sec. 7. Administrative Costs. - The DepEd, CHED, and other implementing
17 agencies shall allocate a reasonable portion of the program budget to cover administrative cost and expenses, including, but not limited to, the development of information systems, accreditation of vendors, financial management, monitoring and evaluation, production of student cards or vouchers, and personnel training.
Sec. 8. Incentives. - The government shall promote private sector participation
in the NSAP through fiscal and non-fiscal incentives that ensure equitable, efficient, and accountable service delivery to student beneficiaries. There shall be an additional 5% deduction from gross income equivalent to the value of administrative or transaction fees waived by accredited private partner service providers such as, but not limited to, school canteens, transport operators, bookstores, and school supply retailers, who participate in the NSAP and ensure that students receive the full value of their allowance without deductions. The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), in coordination with the Department of Finance (DOF), shall issue the necessary rules and regulations to implement this provision, including the documentation and certification requirements for claiming the 32 tax incentive.
Sec. 9. Appropriations. - The amount necessary to carry out the initial
2 implementation of this Act shall be included in the respective budgets of the 3 departments and agencies concerned in the annual General Appropriations Act.
Sec. 10. Sustainability Framework for Long-Term Funding. - The DOF, in
5 coordination with the DBM, the Department of Economy, Planning and Development 6 (DEPdev), the DepEd, and the CHED, shall formulate and periodically update a 7 Sustainability Framework for the long-term financing of the program. As part of this framework, the DOF and its partner agencies shall conduct an 9 actuarial analysis every five (5) years to assess the program's long-term sustainability, 10 cost projections, and demographic trends affecting its implementation.
Sec. 11. Monitoring and Compliance. - The DepEd and the CHED, in
12 coordination with the DBM, shall establish a monitoring and compliance mechanism to ensure that the allowance is used solely for its intended purpose taking into consideration transaction monitoring systems, vendor compliance checks, school-level reporting, annual program reviews, and public grievance and feedback mechanisms.
Sec. 12. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within ninety (90) days from
the effectivity of this Act, the DepEd and CHED, in coordination with the DBM, DOF, 18 and other concerned government agencies and stakeholders, shall issue the rules and 19 regulations implementing the provisions of this Act. The agencies shall ensure that the program is implemented in a manner that maintains student choice and dignity, and continues to reflect the principle of equitable assistance across socioeconomic levels.
Sec. 13. Non-Politicization of the Program. - The implementation of this Act
shall be strictly non-partisan. No public official or candidate shall claim credit for, interfere in, or use the educational assistance for political or electoral purposes. The assistance shall not bear the name, image, or logo of any public figure or political party, and shall only use the official branding of the implementing agencies. Disbursement shall be handled solely by authorized personnel of DepEd, CHED, or other designated agencies, and not by elected officials or their representatives. Any attempt to politicize the program or influence the selection or release of benefits shall be punishable under applicable laws, including the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and the Omnibus Election Code.
The implementing agencies shall establish clear reporting and grievance 2 mechanisms to detect and address violations of this section.
Sec. 14. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act shall be held
unconstitutional, the remainder of this Act not otherwise affected shall remain in full force and effect.
Sec. 15. Repealing Clause. - All laws, executive orders, presidential decrees,
7 rules, and regulations, or parts thereof inconsistent with any provisions of this Act are 8 hereby repealed, amended, or modified accordingly.
Sec. 16. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
10 publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. Approved,
Reproduced from the Senate document. The official PDF is the authoritative version.