36 SUCs seek restoration of ₱6.15B cut from budgets

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 24) — Thirty-six state universities and colleges (SUC) have urged Congress to restore the ₱6.15-billion slashed from their budgets for 2024.

In a statement released by Kabataan party-list Rep. Raoul Manuel on Sunday, the presidents of 36 SUCs called for the augmentation of allocations for the SUCs.

They noted that under the proposed 2024 National Expenditure Program (NEP), 30 SUCs will face budget cuts amounting to ₱6,155,499,000.

In the 2024 NEP, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) allocated SUCs a ₱100.88-billion budget. This is 5% less than the ₱107.037 billion SUCs were given in the 2023 General Appropriations Act, and also less than a third of the ₱331.3 billion which these institutions first asked for in the 2024 NEP.

RELATED: 30 SUCs suffer funding cuts in proposed 2024 budget

“Majority of these cuts were focused on budgets for Capital Outlay, which includes facilities, equipment, and other investments that will serve these institutions for periods longer than the next fiscal year. This is despite the budget for the Free Higher Education Program increasing, meaning that the Marcos, Jr. administration has acknowledged an increase in the enrollment rates for next year,” they added.

The cut comes even though 1.85 million students enrolled in SUCs this school year, an increase of about 50,000 compared with 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 presidents of 36 SUCs said.