Marcos vetoes bill turning PUP into National Polytechnic University
MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. vetoed a measure that would elevate the status of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) into the National Polytechnic University (NPU).
Had the measure passed, PUP would have joined the ranks of the University of the Philippines and the Mindanao State University.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro announced the veto during a press conference on Friday, July 11. She explained that PUP did not undergo a mandated assessment in 2016, which means it failed to comply with requirements.
“At mananatili naman po ang pangulo at umaasa siya na ang PUP po ay magkakaroon din po ng national university status kapag po na-comply po nila lahat ng mga requirements,” Castro said.
(The president remains hopeful that the PUP would attain a national university status once it has complied with all the requirements.)
Castro did not elaborate on which specific requirement PUP failed to meet.
The upgrading of PUP into NPU has been a contentious topic within the school’s community, with some believing that allowing the university fiscal autonomy would open the doors to commercialization.
In its website, however, PUP denied that this would be the case.
“The University will not be commercialized, rather it only allows for the outsourcing of non-academic services and joint ventures,” said the PUP, citing its chief legal counsel.
The university said that the NPU status would not automatically lead to higher tuition fees, as the Free Tuition Law ensures free education.
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