Additional SUC funding sought

A SENATOR on Monday said he will seek P3 billion in additional funding for state universities once the Senate takes up the proposed 2025 national budget to prevent possible budgetary shortfalls that could hamper free college education implementation.

Senator Sherwin T. Gatchalian said budgetary deficits for state colleges next year could impede the hiring of teachers, and procurement of teaching equipment, and sidetrack the construction of new facilities for a conducive learning environment.

“The SUCs (State Universities and Colleges) are asking for an additional P3 billion, so we’ll just take a small portion from the P591.8 billion allocated for aid programs to cover the needs for free higher education,” he said in a statement in mixed English and Filipino.

“Maybe later on we can ask the Chairperson of the Finance Committee if we can take a little from the aid funds,” he added, referring to indigent financial programs under the Social Welfare, Health, and Labor departments.

State colleges are set to receive P113.7 billion in appropriations for next year, according to the 2025 National Expenditure Program.

In September, 39 presidents of SUCs appealed for Congress to restore a P14.48 billion budget cut to their schools, which they say could affect their operations for next year, according to a unity statement published on X by Kabataan Party-list. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio