SENATOR Ramon ‘Bong’ Revilla, Jr. ensures that the dreams of the majority of financially deprived Filipino students will now be realized after the enactment of the No Permit, No Exam Act.

Revilla made the statement as he lauded Malacañang after passing into law the Republic Act No. 11984 which will allow students to take school examinations despite their unsettled financial obligations.

Under the law, which was principally authored by Senator Revilla, disadvantaged students with unpaid tuition and other school fees will now be allowed to take examinations.

All private and public educational institutions are required to accommodate and allow disadvantaged students to take the scheduled periodic and final examinations.

This covers basic education institutions, higher education institutions, and technical-vocational institutions.

In stressing that those who have less in life must have more in law, Revilla said that this newly enacted measure would tilt the scales in favor of the youth whose dreams should not be hampered because of lack of financial means.

‘Wala dapat kabataang nangangamba na hindi makapag-exam, o kaya naman ay hindi maka-graduate, dahil lamang sa kakulangan ng salapi. Poverty should never cripple them and shatter their dreams”, Revilla said.

The new law further provides that local social welfare development officers in the municipality, city, or province, or the regional office of the Department of Social Welfare and Development shall issue the necessary certificate on the disadvantaged status of the students due to calamities, emergencies, force majeure, and other good or justifiable reasons.

All covered educational institutions not complying with the provision of the law shall be subject to administrative sanctions that the Department of Education may impose, the Commission on Higher Education, or the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, as the case may be.