MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Bam Aquino said about 20,000 nursing and other allied health sciences students would benefit from the P500 million financial aid for Related Learning Experience (RLE) under the 2026 national budget. The senator made the announcement during a recent reunion with nursing students he met while campaigning for the 2025 senatorial elections in Cebu City. During their initial meeting, the students raised concerns over the high costs of RLE -- equivalent to on-the-job training and a requirement for graduating nursing students -- which Aquino committed to address. The senator was able to secure P500 million in the 2026 national budget under the maintenance and other operating expenses of the Higher Education Development Program for RLE requirements for allied health sciences students. “We were able to include in the budget a P500-million scholarship specifically for RLE, providing up to P20,000 per semester,” Aquino said. “That’s good for about 20,000 students. I think there are around 100,000 nursing students in the Philippines, so one-fifth can receive assistance,” he added. Aquino said that underprivileged students will be prioritized. The guidelines will be issued by the Commission on Higher Education to ensure equitable and efficient implementation.