The University of the Philippines will seek amendments to its proposed 2027 budget to bring its funding closer to last year’s level, President Angelo Jimenez said, clarifying that the reported P2.9-billion reduction was based on a comparison between the proposed 2027 National Expenditure Program and the university’s 2026 General Appropriations Act.

Jimenez disputed the characterization of a reported P2.9-billion budget cut, saying the figure resulted from comparing UP’s proposed 2027 National Expenditure Program (NEP) allocation with its actual 2026 General Appropriations Act (GAA) funding.

“Let’s compare apples and apples, not apples and oranges. What you’re saying is the National Expenditure Plan compared to the actual GAA that we got last year, there was a reduction. But we cannot compare NEP and GAA,” Jimenez told reporters.

“Right now, we’re catching up. There is a budget hearing next week. We are seeking more amendments to be able to catch up with at least the level of last year’s,” he added.

He said completing unfinished construction projects would be among UP’s priorities, citing the need to avoid wasting resources already committed to projects inherited by the current administration.

Among the projects he identified were the faculty commons, library and RI building at UP Diliman; the National Institutes of Health building at UP Manila; and the UP Los Baños library.

Jimenez said he was also trying to limit requests for new buildings until existing projects were completed.

“I’m trying to solve one of them. Ako nga eh nag-mi-minimize na nga ako sa pag-request for new buildings eh. I want to finish old buildings lang kasi matapos lang ’yung mga buildings na ’yun, probably in some universities namin we’ll have excess spaces na,” he said.

Freedom Memorial project

The unfinished-project issue also figures into the planned Freedom Memorial Museum at UP Diliman, which is intended to preserve the history of human rights violations during the Marcos regime.

UP and the Human Rights Violations Victims’ Memorial Commission (HRVVMC) signed an agreement in 2018 to establish a Human Rights Violations Memorial in UP Diliman. In 2024, UP said the project was being advanced under Republic Act No. 10368, or the Human Rights Victims Reparation and Recognition Act of 2013.

A 2024 site handover involved the planned relocation of the UP Diliman Campus Maintenance Office and workshops to clear the 1.4-hectare site for the museum. The relocation facilities were funded by the HRVVMC.

Jimenez said the maintenance office had yet to be relocated, citing concerns over the proposed replacement site, which he said was about half the size of the space currently occupied.

“There has been new developments lately,” Jimenez said, adding that he had asked the UP System team to help Diliman reach an agreement with the parties involved.

He said UP had previously offered an alternative site if the relocation would take longer, while discussions between the parties continued.

“There has been a breakthrough. Mukhang nag-c-clear na kami sa old site. The old site might be on the table,” Jimenez said.

“As far as I’m concerned, that project is a go,” he added.