INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — Makabayan bloc lawmakers have filed a resolution urging the committee on appropriations to consider putting back the over P4.6 billion slashed from the proposed 2024 budget of state universities and colleges (SUCs).
In a statement on Friday, the Kabataan party-list said Rep. Raoul Manuel, ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro, and Gabriela party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas have filed House Resolution (HR) No. 1325.
“We need a kind of education that will capacitate the youth as agents of social change. By depriving the youth of free and quality education, the chance of the country for national progress and development is left to chance, and the future of our nation is undermined,” the resolution read.
“Whereas, what is needed is an overhaul of the current system of education, repeal of all existing education policies related to labor export, deregulation and commercialization, and establishment of a nationalist, scientific, and mass-oriented system of education,” it added.
The resolution included a table showing the SUCs with budget cuts:
- University of the Philippines (UP) System (12.25 percent,P2.972 billion)
- Mindanao State University (37.03 percent, P2.358 billion)
- Mariano Marcos State University (61.17 percent, P1.535 billion
- Eastern Visayas State University (62.04 percent, P1.355 billion)
- Central Bicol State University of Agriculture (56.48 percent, P1.237 billion)
- West Visayas State University (30.44 percent, P852.9 million)
- Cebu Normal University (25.81 percent, P176.6 million)
- North Luzon Philippines State College (-00 percent, P132.0 million)
- Aurora State College of Technology (36.85 percent, P130.7 million)
- Philippine State College of Aeronautics (16.90 percent, P89.74 million)
“Ayon sa konstitusyon para sa kinabukasan ng bayan dapat pinakamataas ang prayoridad natin sa paglalaan ng pondo sa sektor ng edukasyon. Hindi maaari na taon-taon na lang ay kinakaltasan ng budget ang ating State Universities and Colleges,” Manuel said.
(The Constitution states that education should be prioritized. We should not reduce the budget for SUCs every year.)
“Natutulak tuloy ang ating SUCs na magnegosyo at maningil ng dagdag bayarin para punan ang pondo. Ang 2.1 million na mga estudyante ang kawawa rito,” he added.
This is not the first time that lawmakers asked that slashed budget from SUCs be restored.
Last September 2022 — during the deliberations on the then-proposed 2023 budget — Manuel and Camarines Sur 3rd District Rep. Gabriel Bordado asked that the P10 billion removed from SUCs in the NEP be restored.