'Government should raise state universities and colleges budget'

MANILA, Philippines - With tropical storm “Ondoy” wreaking havoc on state universities and colleges (SUCs), the government should increase, not slash, their budget for 2010.

Rep. Raymond Palatino of the Kabataan party-list said many SUCs sustained considerable damage from the floods.

In their check of the government’s proposed budget for SUCs next year, Palatino noted that almost all of the 110 SUCs will not be receiving funds for construction and rehabilitation next year as the Department of Budget and Manage-ment (DBM) cut capital outlay by almost 100 percent.

During the SUCs’ budget deliberations in Congress, university officials from Marikina Polytechnic College (MPC) and Rizal Technological University said their schools were ravaged by Ondoy.

For instance, MPC has an estimated damage of over P40 million after it experienced 10-foot floods, destroying computers, machines, equipment, supplies, and libraries. 

“Without funds for rehabilitation, how can the SUCs hit by typhoons start anew?” Palatino said.

With the decrease in the budget of SUCs, Palatino said it is the students who will bear the brunt of low state subsidy. 

“SUC officials might impose higher tuition rates and introduce new fees to cope with the situation. Ultimately, the students are at the losing end,” he said.

In the proposed national budget for 2010, allocation for SUCs will be reduced by 13 percent or P3.2 billion, forcing SUCs to generate income mostly from students. 

Based on the 2010 National Expenditure Program, the bulk of the SUCs’ projected income of P10.2 billion will be sourced from tuition fees projected at P4.59 billion and miscellaneous fees estimated at P2.23 billion.  — Rainier Allan Ronda