May 15, 2026 — Hundreds of Catholic educators nationwide gathered for an online briefing on Republic Act No. 11984, or the “No Permit, No Exam Prohibition Act,” held via Zoom. The session aimed to help Catholic schools better understand the law and its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR), particularly in addressing the needs of financially disadvantaged students while ensuring responsible school management.
In his opening message, Mr. Narcy F. Ador Dionisio, Executive Director of the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP), emphasized the important role of private educational institutions in implementing policies through a rights-based and financially sustainable approach.
He posed the questions: “What does it truly mean to say that education is a right and not a privilege in the concrete realities of unpaid tuition? How do we reconcile the tension between educational accessibility and the financial sustainability of private institutions?”
He also encouraged participants to view the law not merely as a compliance requirement, but as an opportunity to strengthen the mission of Catholic education in serving financially challenged students, promoting character formation, and fostering more inclusive school communities.
“In what ways can this law become an opportunity to form students in integrity, honesty, and social awareness? How can a school community cultivate a sense that financial difficulty is a shared concern rather than an individual burden?” he said.
Serving as resource speaker, Atty. Sabino “Binoy” B. Padilla IV, Legal Counsel of CEAP, explained that certified disadvantaged students must be allowed to take scheduled periodic and final examinations in accordance with the law.
“The law suspends the ‘no permit, no exam’ barrier for certified disadvantaged students; it does not erase the underlying obligation,” he stated.
At the same time, he emphasized the importance of properly documenting unpaid tuition cases to protect schools’ rights to receivables and collections. He also encouraged schools to train frontline offices and establish clear procedures to ensure that no student is denied access to examinations in violation of the IRR.
“Never wait until the student is already standing at the exam room door. Build a pre-exam verification cutoff and an urgent same-day escalation channel for exceptional cases,” Atty. Padilla explained.
As a final call to action, participants were encouraged to review their school handbooks, collections policies, exam permit processes, and registrar-treasury coordination protocols.
“Boards and finance committees should treat this as both student protection and operational control, not simply a waiver policy,” Atty. Padilla added.
The briefing concluded with a renewed commitment among Catholic educational institutions to provide compassionate, inclusive, and mission-driven education while faithfully stewarding institutional and financial resources.