Solon alarmed over SUCs’ budget cuts

Faulty computations in budget allotment have shorted the Philippines’ 113 state universities and colleges (SUCs) of a total of P12.3 billion from the 2022 to 2025 fiscal years, according to Kabataan Partylist Representative Renee Co.

In a statement, Co said consultations with SUC presidents revealed the budget failed to fully account for the latest student population and the rising personnel and operating expenses of the institutions.

Following years of appeals from SUCs to address the lack of funding for the Free Higher Education Act, the House of Representatives has committed to allocating an additional P12.3 billion for the SUCs in the 2026 General Appropriations Act.

The lawmaker also welcomed the commitment but stressed that the government should have provided the funding sooner.

“Because the President promised to fund SUCs amid corruption scandals, there should be no excuse to provide ample budget to public universities,” said the solon. “If we were to make corrupt officials accountable, we could easily fund the Free Higher Education budget.”

Meanwhile, the University of the Philippines (UP) system is set to receive a P1 billion increase in its proposed 2026 budget after the House Appropriation Committee realigned P255 billion from the government’s flood control fund.

The UP system’s budget proposal has now risen to P26.8 billion, P1.8 billion of which will be allocated to the university’s research programs and the operation of the Philippine General Hospital.

Similarly, other SUCs are set to receive an additional P1 billion hike, increasing the total proposed fund for SUCs to P129 billion. Co stressed that this initial victory was only possible through collective action.

“This is a victory of the protest and campaign of the Filipino youth, teachers, and also the result of lobbying by SUC officials,” she said. “But in reality, it seems like the government just paid its debt to public universities. Funds are still sorely lacking.”

The Kabataan Partylist representative vowed to continue fighting for the full restoration of the P6.4 billion cut from 26 SUCs, the correction and funding of the P3.3 billion still lacking in the Free Higher Education budget, and the allocation of P20 billion for long-overdue priority projects and facilities needed by SUCs.