Rep. JV Ejercito visits state schools in Cebu

CEBU, Philippines - San Juan City Rep. Joseph Victor Ejercito has visited different state universities and colleges in Cebu yesterday as part of his move in Congress to increase their budget for next year.

At the 888 News Forum at the Marco Polo Plaza, Ejercito said he wants to assess the situation personally to explain to his colleagues in the Lower House Congress why he is fighting for the increase in the subsidy of the state universities and colleges.

Ejercito said that in some areas hit by calamities, classes were held under tents because there is no fund to rebuild the classrooms.

“I always look at education not as an expense for the government. This should always be treated as an investment,” Ejercito said.

A lot of students were reportedly transferred to state universities and colleges in the past years due to high tuition fees in private schools.

“Ironically, in the past two years also, the budget was cut by a billion pesos at least,” he said.

Records of the Department of Budget and Management showed that the budget for these items in 2010 was P26,404,083,000 but was reduced to P23,725,535,000.00 in 2011.

In the proposed 2012 national budget, appropriation for state colleges and universities was reportedly reduced to P23,608,964,000.

Ejercito said that although he is part of the majority bloc supporting the administration of President Simeon Benigno Aquino III, there are some things which he doesn’t agree with in the budget, such as reducing the budget for state colleges.

Last month, students led by those at the University of the Philippines UP walked out of their classes and conducted protest actions in Luzon and the Visayas against cuts in subsidy.

As the students held their protest actions, the Commission on Higher Education (Ched) expressed support for calls to raise the budget for public tertiary education, saying the proposed 2012 allocation would serve only as a “survival budget.” — (FREEMAN)