ZAMBOANGA CITY (Mindanao Examiner / May 22, 2013) – A government school in Zamboanga City in southern Philippines is collecting various fees from high school students despite a strict policy against collections of contributions during the enrollment period.
A television report said the collections of various fees in Don Pablo Lorenzo High School were being tolerated by Pilar Gregorio, the principal.
Among the fees being collected from students are allegedly for identification card pictures, funds for the Parents-Teachers Association, and for various projects of the Supreme Student Government.
The fees ranged from P50 to P300 per student and the collections were not covered by an official receipt. One student, who was collecting fees, said the contributions are not compulsory, but a sign on her table reads “required.”
The collections of fees were also recorded by the TV11 news crew.
The report said the school principal also refused an interview requested by the television news crew about the illegal collections, saying she was not available.
Pedro Natividad, the Assistant Schools Superintendent, was apparently disgusted with the illegal collections of fees in Don Pablo Lorenzo School and said he will investigate the reports.
The Department of Education said only collections may be collected on a voluntary basis for Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts membership fees (P50), Philippine National Red Cross (P35), Anti-TB fund drive (P5), school publication (P60 for elementary students and P90 for high school student). (Mindanao Examiner)
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