Press Release - Cayetano, Pia: Initial remarks on the proposed 2024 budget for higher education

PART 1: OPENING STATEMENT

Welcome to the hearing today of the Committee on Finance. This is the subcommittee to hear the budget of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), State Universities and Colleges (SUCs), the University of the Philippines (UP) System, and the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP).

I won't be able to greet everyone, but let me just highlight the persons who will be speaking. And then, we will proceed with their presentations. So Chairman Popoy De Vera is online, this is a special accommodation because nagka-COVID siya. Sa lahat pa ng time... I have to say it because magtataka pa ang lahat ng tao kung bakit wala ka dito, Popoy. So anyway, we made that accommodation.

President Tirso Ronquillo is in front of me, happy birthday! Mamaya kakantahan ka ng lahat ng presidente. Our PASUC regional coordinators are also here, saan kayo? All around, spread out, I assume. University of the Philippines System, represented by its President Jijil Jimenez over there. Hi, Jijil. DAP President Atty. Engelbert Caronan, Jr. Hello, sir. Kumusta kayo? And the SUC presidents, other officials, and staff.

Dahil sa sobrang excited niyo, late tayo nag-umpisa kasi hindi tayo nagkasya sa kwarto, sa sobrang excited niyo lahat makapunta dito. So on that note, pwede bang patayuin ko lahat ng president ng SUCs para kayo po ay ma-acknowledge? Please stand up. Kumusta kayo lahat? Hello, hello, hello.

Si President Jijil hindi na tatayo dahil lagi nang andito yan. Nakailang punta na. Anyway, welcome all of you. Nagulat ang staff ko, nagulat din ang Secretariat, hindi nila akalain na paano niyo naman nakalimutan yun eh before COVID, ganyan naman mag-attend itong mga ito, di ba? Actually that's on us kasi ako naman, I really expected that they'll be here. Ako, hindi ako nagulat. Hindi n'yo ginamit ang kaunting futures thinking. Talagang dadating ang mga yan. Budget season pa naman, dadating talaga yang mga yan.

All right. So, for the Commission on Higher Education, the total new appropriation is 29,678,007,000. For the SUCs, including UP, it is a total new appropriation of 100,882,313,000. For the UP alone, the total new appropriations is 21,291,523,000. And for DAP,