Catholic schools back expansion of voucher program

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April 12, 2026 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — At least 177 leaders from Catholic schools nationwide gathered as they backed the proposed expansion of government assistance to underprivileged students enrolling in private schools through a voucher system.

The Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP) said the event discussed key principles behind government subsidies for students in private education, and to deepen understanding of the policy foundations of the proposed Private Basic Education Voucher Program.

Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations legal counsel Joseph Noel Estrada cited the importance of parental empowerment.

“When parents are limited to choosing only public education, their fundamental role in directing their children’s formation is constrained,” Estrada said.
He said expanding educational options not only upholds parental rights, but also contributes to broader societal and national development gains.

Estrada added that widening parental choice supports human capital development, while enabling the government to maximize resources efficiently through the decongestion of public schools, reinforcing a complementary relationship between public and private education.

“When entities establish private schools, it’s actually helping the government save on costs of putting up schools and hiring teachers. In addition, private schools contribute to the high achievement test scores across the regions in the country,” he said.
Estrada said decongestion of the public school system must not be the main driver of government subsidy.

“Empowering students’ choice. This is more fundamental and essential. Expand the student vouchers to elementary and put the power back in the hands of the family,” he said.

For his part, CEAP executive director Narcy Ador Dionisio said access to quality education must go hand in hand with government excellence in program delivery.

“Quality must remain the anchor of expansion; otherwise, access without excellence risks becoming an empty promise,” Dionisio said.