DFA: 30 Pinoys’ repatriation from war-torn Sudan delayed by Hajj Private schools file

THE largest private school groups in the Philippines have issued an open letter to legislators appealing for the reconsideration of the passage of Senate Bill 1359 or the No Permit, No Exam (NPNE) Prohibition Act, which was approved on third reading on March 20, 2023.

The open letter was signed by the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP), Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities (PACU), Philippine Association of Private Schools, Colleges, and Universities (PAPSCU), Association of Christian Schools, Colleges, and Universities (ACSCU), and Unified TVET of the Philippines, Inc (UniTVET).

In the letter, the private schools reiterated the dangers that prohibiting “No Permit, No Exam” policies will cause, including forcing many private schools to close down.

“Prohibiting No Permit, No Exam (NPNE) policies will thus endanger the sustainability of private schools. Schools will not have a steady cash flow, because the incentive to pay on time is removed, and parents and students will have the option to delay payment. Simulations show that private schools will run out of operating cash after just over two months, after which they will need to find other sources of financing (e.g., loans) or delay payment of operational expenses (e.g., salaries),” the private schools stated.

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By Rey E. Requejo

THE Department of Foreign Affairs on Thursday said some 30 Filipinos awaiting repatriation to the Philippines are currently stuck at the Port of Sudan as flights became unavailable due to the Hajj pilgrimage.

DFA Assistant Secretary Paul Cortes said that there are still some 150 Filipinos in conflict-torn Sudan, while 30–around