April 8, 2026 — The Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP) held its 30th Special Learning Session, gathering over 177 participants from Catholic schools nationwide. Leading the conversation was Atty. Joseph Noel M. Estrada, the Legal Counsel of the Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations (COCOPEA) and the Founding Partner of Estrada Law Office.
The learning session aimed to unpack the 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. At its core, the proposal seeks to expand government assistance to underprivileged students enrolling in private schools through a voucher system.
The learning session opened with Mr. Narcy F. Ador Dionisio, who emphasized a critical point: access to quality education must go hand in hand with government excellence in program delivery. As he noted, “Quality must remain the anchor of expansion; otherwise, access without excellence risks becoming an empty promise.”
Building on this line of discussion, Atty. Estrada outlined two key constitutional provisions, supporting government investment in private education. Central to the proposed Private Basic Education Voucher program is the constitutional mandate for the State to establish and maintain scholarship grants and other incentives for deserving students in both public and private schools.
He further underscored the importance of parental empowerment, citing the constitutional provision that affirms the natural and primary right of parents in the upbringing and education of their children. As Atty. Estrada stated, “When parents are limited to choosing only public education, their fundamental role in directing their children’s formation is constrained.”
Expanding educational options, not only upholds parental rights, but also contributes to broader societal and national development gains. 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,” Atty. Estrada explains.
Through the Special Learning Session, CEAP, together with its partners, remains steadfast in its mission to advance access to quality education that entails not only provision of services and programs, but also supports the meaningful expansion of choice and empowerment of both parents and learners.