Does school really matter?

[Yatta]

Don't they ask for the ITR of the parents of all students?

Even back then no, not unless you are applying for scholarship or financial assistance.

admission to UP is still largely by merit, i.e., grades and entrance exam.
unfortunately, it is the more affluent who can afford to enrol in high-quality high schools, thus affording them better chance at garnering higher entrance exam grade.
nung panahon ng 'merika kasi, our public school system is good or better, than the private schools.
some say that in the philippines, those who "have issues" are the ones who enrol in private schools, back then.

in some UPs, (all UPs?), family income is considered. thus, the richer ones pay higher, while the poorer ones pay less.

Because of the law on free college tuition (RA 10931 of 2017), state colleges and universities are now free of tuition (for the duration of the baccalaureate course, 4-5 years if I'm not mistaken, after that you start paying para hindi naman maabuso). Before this one had to pay up or apply for assistance.

My brother passed UPd but my parents didn't allow him to go to UPd. That really pissed my brother off hehe

I wonder, sa generation ngayon, do parents still control the education of their children? Kuya ko grade school pa lang alam na ng family saan siya mag MBA Kami mga babae hindi masyado pinapakialamanan kasi sa family namin mas valued ang lalaki

Obviously since even with free tuition there are still bills to pay (allowances, dorm/house fees, other expenses). So even if UP is free there are still those who withdraw lalo kapag taga-probinsiya and yung program is at a specific campus only.