Additional P12 billion budget for SUCs backed by Congress

MANILA, Philippines — After years of appeals from state universities and colleges to address the lack of funding for the implementation of the Free Higher Education Act, Congress has committed to allocate an additional P12.3 billion for the 113 SUCs in the 2026 General Appropriations Act, Batangas 1st District Rep. Leandro Leviste said yesterday.

As vice chair of the House committee on appropriations, Leviste led the pre-plenary budget hearing for SUCs, where officials urged Congress to fund the implementation of the Free Higher Education Act in the 2026 budget. He also sponsored the proposed budget in plenary.

House appropriations chairperson Mika Suansing confirmed that the P12.3-billion budget deficit for SUCs will be addressed in the 2026 budget, which includes P7.82 billion from the Higher Education Development Fund of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and an additional P4.49 billion to be approved by Congress.

Senate finance committee chairman Sherwin Gatchalian likewise confirmed that the Senate will support the budget increase for SUCs in 2026 to fund the implementation of the Free Higher Education Act.

Senate higher education committee chair Loren Legarda also expressed support and organized a meeting with SUC presidents and CHED Chair Shirley Agrupis to discuss next steps before the additional budget allocation for SUCs is taken up in the Senate.

According to a presentation by Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges (PASUC) president Tirso Ronquillo, there is a P12.3-billion funding shortfall for SUCs until 2025, with an estimated additional P3.5 billion needed to support the expected increase in student enrollment in 2026.

Although the Free Higher Education Act has already helped millions of students, the lack of funding limits the number of slots SUCs can offer, depriving an estimated 200,000 qualified students of the opportunity to enroll.

Realignment

Building on the momentum in Congress, senators are also exploring ways to augment higher education funding by tapping unused infrastructure allocations.

During a rare weekend budget hearing yesterday, Sen. Bam Aquino proposed realigning part of the Department of Public Works and Highways’ canceled locally funded flood control projects worth P255.5 billion to cover the P3.29-billion shortfall for SUCs in 2026.

Aquino, who chairs the Senate basic education committee, noted that the number of SUC students has reached 1.97 million and is projected to increase by 300,000 next year, further widening the funding gap.

He also committed to work for the restoration of the P12.3-billion budget deficit and ensure resources for capital outlay, maintenance, operating expenses and personal services.

Sen. Francis Pangilinan, meanwhile, underscored the urgency of boosting higher education spending to address gaps in access across the country.

Citing the Second Congressional Commission on Education report, Pangilinan said only 34.8 percent of college-age Filipinos are enrolled in higher education, far below the 41.1 percent Southeast Asian average.

The numbers are more alarming in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, where participation drops to just 18 percent.

“The 2026 budget for higher education is not just a line item. It is our responsibility to the Filipino youth who aspire for a better future,” Pangilinan said, adding he is ready to support “interventions that will provide additional funding for our state colleges and universities.”

He warned that nearly four in 10 students nationwide drop out before finishing their courses, while 93.4 percent in BARMM do not even pursue higher education.

Despite the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act, he said SUCs remain constrained and local universities continue to offer only limited programs, mostly education and business.

Pangilinan also lamented the reduction of the tertiary education subsidy from P60,000 to P10,000 per student annually, stressing that the amount falls far short of covering tuition, books, transport and other expenses.

Promotions

In a separate development, the Department of Education (DepEd) announced that at least P6 billion will be allocated in 2026 to finance the promotions of 113,000 teachers and school heads under the Expanded Career Progression (ECP) System.

The reform aims to provide more opportunities for advancement without waiting for plantilla vacancies, addressing long-standing concerns of public school teachers. Priority will be given to retiring Teacher I personnel.

Education Secretary Sonny Angara said the system should be seen as a fairer framework for promotion.

“Teachers can progress once they meet the standards, rather than be held back by structural limits,” he said.

DepEd said safeguards such as limits on promotions – where reclassification cannot exceed three salary grades – will help maintain merit and balance, with exceptions granted only by the Civil Service Commission or the Department of Budget and Management (DBM). — Neil Jayson Servallos, Marc Jayson Cayabyab, Bella Cariaso