Bam Aquino Backs Future Healthcare Workers

Thousands of Filipino nursing and allied health sciences students are set to receive much-needed financial relief as a long-awaited subsidy program for Related Learning Experience (RLE) expenses officially rolls out nationwide.

The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) formally launched the AHEAD or Allied Health Experiential Assistance for Deserving Students grant, a program designed to help students shoulder the costly fees tied to clinical duties, hospital exposure, and internship requirements. The initiative fulfills a commitment made by Bam Aquino during the 2025 senatorial campaign, when many nursing students raised concerns over the growing burden of RLE expenses.

Aquino played a key role in securing a ₱500-million allocation for the program in the 2026 national budget while serving as chairperson of the Committee on Basic Education. Through the subsidy, around 19,000 qualified students may receive a one-time financial grant worth ₱25,000 each.

For many aspiring healthcare workers, the assistance represents more than just financial support. RLE and clinical internship fees have long been one of the biggest challenges for students pursuing healthcare-related degrees, often forcing families to borrow money or delay schooling just to complete graduation requirements.

Aquino said the program aims to ease the burden on students training to become future nurses, therapists, medical technologists, and other healthcare professionals who will eventually serve communities across the country.

He also thanked CHED and its chairperson, Dr. Shirley Agrupis, for quickly implementing the grant, finalizing the guidelines, and launching the online portal where students can apply for assistance.

The launch ceremony included a symbolic online enrollment of 10 nursing students from Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Marikina, marking the first batch of beneficiaries under the new program.