The number of state universities and colleges, or SUCs, petitioning for a higher budget amid an over P6-billion cut had risen, weeks after the House of Representatives approved the Marcos administration's P5.768-trillion proposed budget for 2024.

From the initial 36, the total increased to 48 after 11 more SUC presidents appealed to Congress that the P6,155,499,000 trimmed from their collective budget be restored and even increased.

The SUC presidents stressed the need for a bigger budget, arguing that the Philippine higher education system has been "in crisis for a long time."

"Education is a fundamental right that should be accessible to all, regardless of socio-economic status… However, the current state of our education system fails to adequately cater to the needs of our students due to inadequate financial support," the group said.

The plea for an increased budget followed the approval of House Bill 8980, or the Marcos administration's P5.768-trillion proposed budget for 2024, on 27 September.

Under the National Expenditure Program submitted by the Department of Budget and Management to Congress, SUCs were given a P100.88 billion budget for 2024, less than a third of the P331.3 billion the institutions initially requested.

It is also nearly P7 billion or 5 percent lower than what the SUCs received under the 2023 General Appropriations Act, amounting to P107.037 billion.

Most of the reductions were directed at allocations for capital outlay, including facilities, equipment, and other investments that will benefit the institutions beyond the next fiscal year, according to the SUCs officials.

Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges president Dr. Tirso Ronquillo lamented that the DBM trimmed the projected budget even as they expect to enroll 1,803,359 student-beneficiaries under the government's free higher education program.

The total represents an increase of approximately 50,000 from last school year's 1.8 million enrollees.

"Additional budget is needed for our learning institutions to regain their public character and provide ample support for student services and faculty development. If our state universities and colleges are to be expected to do their duties, they must be funded accordingly," the SUCs appealed.

Kabataan Rep. Raoul Manuel, one of the proponents of House Resolution 1325 that urged the House Committee on Appropriations to restore the cuts in the total allocated budget for SUCs in the 2024 proposed budget, commended the decisiveness of SUCs presidents on taking a united stand for education budget increase for the right to education of more than 2.1 million scholars.

"Now that the deliberations in the House are over and the overwhelming majority won the vote for the 2024 GAB (General Appropriations Bill), this unity of the SUCs should be a signal to our senators to fight for education, not the interest of a few for confidential and intelligence funds," Manuel stressed.

While the House had already given its final nod on the national spending bill pursuant to the President's request to pass it as "urgent," the Senate has yet to conclude the deliberations.

The list of signatories of the unity statement in appealing for a higher budget includes heads from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Philippine Normal University, Technological University of the Philippines, Central Luzon State University, Cavite State University, Davao del Sur State College, Caraga State University, Mariano Marcos State University, President, Samar State University, Palawan State University, Mindanao State University-Sulu, Batangas State University and President Ramon Magsaysay State University.

There are 117 SUCs in the Philippines.