SUCs still face budget cuts in proposed 2026 national budget – Kabataan
“Sa ibang institusyon o unibersidad [man], ang matapyasan ng budget para sa sektor ng edukasyon ay isang paraan upang mawalan ng karapatan ang mga magaaral na magkaroon ng kalidad na edukasyon,” a 4th Year BACOMM Student exclaimed.
Twenty-five State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) are still facing budget cuts amounting to Php 6.88 billion after Congress rejected amendments by Kabataan Partylist in its second-to-last hearing of the proposed 2026 national budget.
In a Facebook Post, youth-led Kabataan partylist condemns the House of Representative’s rejection of proposed amendments to House Bill (HB) No. 4058 or the proposed 2026 national budget that would have alleviated deficits to SUCs.
“Mariing tinututulan ng Kabataan Partylist ang pahayag ng Kongreso na sapat na raw ang dagdag-badyet sa SUCs at ang pagpondo sa 2022-2025 Free Higher Education (FHE) deficiencies. Danas ng bawat Iskolar ng Bayan ang hirap na magpatuloy sa kanilang pag-aaral dahil sa kakulangan ng pondo at suporta mula sa gobyerno,” the youth-led party-list said in a Facebook post.
Furthermore, in a report by Krixia Subingsubing for Philippine Daily Inquirer, twenty-five SUCs will be affected by budget cuts amounting to Php 6.88 billion. Three of these institutions are from Central Luzon including Aurora State College of Technology, Bulacan Agricultural State College, Central Luzon State University in Nueva Ecija and Philippine Merchant Marine Academy in Zambales.
Meanwhile, a group of school presidents and student regents from these institutions, led by Kabataan Party-list, has since issued a unity statement calling for Congress to restore budget cuts from the proposed national budget next year, citing “chronic underfunding” of the country’s education system.
According to the group, budget cuts compel SUCs to restrict admissions and compensate with “internally generated income from business ventures [and on] direct fee collection from students”.
As of October 10, the House has approved the proposed Php 6.7 trillion 2026 budget bill for 2026 following amendments. The budget is scheduled for a final reading in Congress on October 13 before congressional break. | via Lance Isaac Leon/The FOREFRONT
Sources: Kabataan Partylist/via FACEBOOK, Krixia Subingsubing/PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER
CTTO: The Forefront
