Central Luzon SUCs’ proposed P3.7B budget approved

SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga, Philippines  â€” Central Luzon’s Regional Development Council (RDC) has endorsed the P3.7 billion 2014 budget proposal of all 12 state universities and colleges (SUCs) in the region.

The RDC said the biggest budget allocation of P573.9 million was for the Bulacan State University (BULSU) and the lowest P92.1 million for the Aurora State College of Technology.

The other state schools with their corresponding approved budget include the Bulacan Agricultural State College (BASC) with P97.5 million budget, Bataan Peninsula State University (BPSU) with P473.1 million, Central Luzon State University (CLSU) with P547.7 million, and Don Honorio Ventura Technological State University (DHVTSU) with P411.3 million.

Also in the list are Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology (NEUST) with P315.7 million, Pampanga Agricultural College (PAC) with P238.7 million, Philippine Merchant Marine Academy (PMMA) with P196.5 million, Ramon Magsaysay Technological University (RMTU) with P164.9 million, Tarlac College of Agriculture (TCA) with P231.8 million, and Tarlac State University (TSU) with P381.7 million.

“The review and endorsement to the national government of the annual budgets for the these government schools is based on Executive Order 325 of former President Ramos,” said RDC vice chairman Severino Santos, National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) director for Central Luzon. The budget would be considered for inclusion in the budget for next year.

Santos said RDC’s review of the budgets, as proposed by the schools themselves, “was mandated to ensure transparency as well as consistency of the utilization of funds to the development goals of Central Luzon in general as stated in the Regional Development Plan.”

The RDC is the highest policy-making body in the country’s various regions and serves as the counterpart of the NEDA Board at the subnational level.

Santos said the RDC “is the primary institution that coordinates and sets the direction of all economic and social development efforts in the region and serves as a forum where local efforts can be related and integrated with national development activities.”

RDC members include governors, city mayors, municipal mayors of capital towns, presidents of municipal mayors’ league, regional directors of national government agencies and representatives from the private sector.