Batangas 1st District Representative Leandro Legarda Leviste is at the forefront of efforts in the House of Representatives to secure additional funding for state universities and colleges (SUCs) in the 2026 General Appropriations Act. Lawmakers have committed to allocating P12.3 billion to address the funding gap in the implementation of the Free Higher Education Act.

As Vice Chair of the House Committee on Appropriations, Legarda led the Pre-Plenary Budget Hearing for SUCs, where university officials highlighted the need for sufficient funding to support free college education. Following the hearing, he sponsored the proposed budget in plenary, advocating for full funding to help more Filipino students access higher education.

House Committee on Appropriations Chair Mika Suansing confirmed that the P12.31 billion shortfall will be covered through a combination of P7.82 billion from the Higher Education Development Fund of the Commission on Higher Education and an additional P4.49 billion from other congressional sources.

Senator Loren Legarda, Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Higher, Technical and Vocational Education, also highlighted the urgency of addressing the funding gap. “Even with rains suspending formal budget hearings, I convened a dialogue with over 70 presidents of state universities and colleges to confront a critical issue: a P12.3 billion deficiency in Free Higher Education funding from 2022 to 2025. This shortfall stems from the Department of Budget and Management’s use of prior year’s actual enrollment instead of the projected enrollment mandated by the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act. That gap must be corrected, not carried forward,” she said.

Senator Legarda emphasized her coordination with Senator Win Gatchalian and Congressman Leandro Legarda Leviste to fully fund Free Higher Education in 2026. “I welcome the House’s commitment to source P7.82 billion from CHED’s Higher Education Development Fund and P4.49 billion from other available sources. But beyond plugging past gaps, we must fix the formula itself,” she added.

PASUC President Dr. Tirso Ronquillo noted that limited funding has restricted the number of slots SUCs can offer, leaving roughly 200,000 qualified students without access to public higher education. Senator Legarda stressed that the 2026 National Expenditure Program should clearly identify and address the deficiency in the General Appropriation Act and ensure SUCs are funded based on projected enrollment.

Legarda’s leadership in both the House and Senate underscores the growing commitment of lawmakers to ensure that free college education is accessible to more Filipino students while improving transparency, accountability, and safeguards in SUC budget use.