PARENTS AND XAVIER ATENEO.  With the aim to explain the government’s financial assistance program for senior high school students, XUSHS holds an orientation about the Department of Education’s Voucher Program. Supplied photo. 

By Nicole Rose Baculio

With the aim to explain the government’s financial assistance program for senior high school students, Xavier University - Ateneo de Cagayan Senior High School once again conducted an orientation about the Department of Education’s Voucher Program to the parents of Qualified Voucher Recipients (QVRs) at the XU Covered Courts last July 14.

More than 500 parents attended the annual orientation. SHS principal Dr Rogelio L Gawahan, in his opening address, emphasized that DepEd’s voucher program may be availed of by qualified students from public and private schools and that XU accepts these vouchers to partially pay for tuition and matriculation.

Vice-president for basic education Dr Dulce R Dawang explained to the parents the important provisions of Republic Act 10533 (Basic Education Act of 2013) and the DepEd orders that encompass the implementation of the voucher program, specifically DO#19 Series of 2017 (Guidelines on the Implementation of the Senior High School Voucher Program).

“Proceeds of vouchers will be given directly to the school,” Dawang said. “It is an assurance that the tuition cost of the recipients will be reduced using the voucher."

LIST OF VOUCHERS. University treasurer Engr Lennie Ong assures the parents that the XU Finance Office and the SHS administration will work together to validate the list of recipients of the program and to provide prompt feedback. Supplied photo.    

However, there may be delays in the processing of vouchers, as, to date, the public database for the same has not yet been made accessible to schools. This database is managed by the Private Education Assistance Committee (PEAC), DepEd’s partner in handling this financial assistance program.

“Unsaon man namo if wala pa na-recognize sa list of recipients ang among anak?” one of the parents asked the university treasurer. (What should we do in the meantime that our child has yet to be recognized on the list of recipients?)  

University treasurer Engr Lennie Ong said that the XU Finance Office and the SHS administration shall repeatedly circulate the list of vouchers processed for students to validate their inclusion and to provide prompt feedback.   

She assured the parents that “Once the school billing is accepted by PEAC, XU shall immediately credit the voucher amount to the student's account." In the meantime,  parents were encouraged to pay the due monthly installments as scheduled.    

Before the orientation concluded, Dawang said, “Magpasalamat ta sa gobyerno nga naglaan g’yud sila og kwarta para makatabang sa tanang bata sa senior high school.” (Let us thank the government for providing this financial assistance to all the students in senior high school.)∎