Cayetano seeks to increase budget for higher education scholars by over P14B

MANILA, Philippines — Senator Pia Cayetano on Wednesday proposed the increase of the budget for higher education in 2020 by over P14 billion in a move to cater to more scholars in the country.

Cayetano, who serves as the Senate Finance Committee Senior Vice Chair, said that the additional proposed funding would help over 700,000 new and existing scholars and beneficiaries of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).

“Granting free tuition to college students is a centerpiece program of the Duterte administration. It is therefore only fitting that we ensure that these programs are properly funded,” Cayetano said in a statement.

Cayetano said she will propose committee amendments to increase CHED’s 2020 budget for the following programs:

• Increase by P3.655 billion the funding for the Student Financial Assistance Program;
• Restore the P10.356 billion budget cut for beneficiaries of the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act (UAQTE);
• Allocate P167 million to subsidize cash grants for medical students in SUCs. The amount shall exclusively be for the grant of tuition subsidy and financial assistance to 2,183 students enrolled in eight state universities and colleges (SUCs) offering Doctor of Medicine Program.

“The goal is to guarantee that our students, particularly the poor yet deserving ones, can continue to avail of scholarships and receive quality education that will enable them to contribute to sustainable growth,” Cayetano said. /je