Mamamayang Liberal Party-list Rep. Leila de Lima has filed a measure seeking to grant Filipino students a 20 percent discount on mobile load, text, call, and internet services, framing affordable connectivity as a necessity for learning rather than a luxury.
In a social media post, De Lima said she filed House Bill No. 9859, or the “Student Discount Para Sa Load Act,” as the House counterpart to Senate Bill No. 126 of Sen. Bam Aquino. She argued that expensive load and data should not become an obstacle to the education of young Filipinos, noting that many students cannot keep up with online learning because of limited or costly access to internet services.
The proposal aims to provide qualified students with a discount on mobile load and internet services, which De Lima said would translate to meaningful savings for families and ease students’ access to online resources essential to their studies.
The filing follows De Lima’s established pattern of introducing House versions that fully adopt Aquino’s Senate measures — a strategy that mirrors a Senate-approved bill in the lower chamber to avoid the need for a bicameral conference committee, allowing an approved measure to be transmitted directly to the President. The two lawmakers have used the same approach on bills covering classroom construction, income tax exemptions, and budget transparency.
The measure adds to a series of proposals filed in recent years seeking to extend student discounts beyond transportation fares into digital services. Aquino’s load discount bill was among 10 education-related measures he filed in mid-2025 to address what he described as the country’s education crisis, while a separate Senate measure by Sen. Francis Tolentino earlier sought a similar 20 percent discount on load, plans, and internet services for students.
