Press Release ANC Top Story Interview of Sen. Win Gatchalian with Ron Cruz on academic break Q: Why is the poor going to be more affected by this call for an academic break? SEN. WIN: Well, as we speak, there's now a divide, wherein if you can afford to have your own laptop or your own computer and then you can afford to have access to the internet and continuous schooling. But a large part of our population, almost close to probably 80 percent of our population, do not have access to the internet and to gadgets that can run the internet. That's why the choice for distance learning is through the self-learning modules. And the self-learning modules as it is right now, it's quite difficult because not all of our parents have graduated from basic education. So the more we prolong schooling or the more we stop schooling, those ones who can afford to continue schooling will continue, those who cannot afford will stop and eventually be left behind.