20-percent load, internet discount for students pushed
Sen. Erwin Tulfo is pushing for a 20-percent discount on mobile prepaid load, mobile postpaid plans and mobile internet packages for all enrolled Filipino students amid severe weather conditions in the past weeks that prompted a shift to online classes numerous times.
Senate Bill No. 2275, known as the “Student Load Discount Act,” aims to alleviate the financial burden on families struggling to keep up with the data demands of modern education.
Under the proposed legislation, the discount covers all Filipino citizens currently enrolled in authorized elementary, secondary, technical-vocational, or higher education institutions, excluding postgraduate studies.
The mandatory 20-percent price cut will remain available year-round, including weekends and holidays, to ensure continuous academic access.
Tulfo noted that while the government has consistently recognized education as a fundamental right and a priority investment, there remains a pressing need to institutionalize mechanisms that would ease the financial burden borne by Filipino students in securing access to digital educational resources.
“By providing students reliable and affordable connectivity, they can learn more effectively, access a wider range of educational materials, and develop the digital skills necessary for success in the modern economy,” he said in the explanatory note of his proposed measure.
“We have to slash this added expense from students which too often prevents [them] from keeping up with their online classes. This is our way to somehow level the playing field,” he added.
Tulfo stressed that students, especially those who come from indigent families, cannot be expected to seamlessly transition into digital learning without the government lending them a helping hand.
Tulfo, who chairs the Senate committee on social justice, welfare and rural development, pointed out that the traditional concept of class suspensions has fundamentally changed.
“Before, when classes are suspended, there were simply no classes. But this time around, most schools immediately shift to online modality to avoid academic backlogs,” he said.
“It is our duty in the government to guarantee access. A student’s potential to learn should never be halted simply because they cannot afford mobile data or an internet connection. No student must be left offline when everyone else should be online,” he added.
Once the bill is enacted, students can claim the discount by presenting a valid school identification card or proof of enrollment, along with a birth certificate to prove their Filipino citizenship.
Under the proposal, telecommunication companies will be legally required to grant the discount across all eligible services, with noncompliant providers facing strict penalties.
