DBM proposes P51 billion budget for free college education

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) is proposing to increase the government’s budget for the free tertiary education program to P51 billion next year, a top official said yesterday.

Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno said the agency is pushing for an P11 billion increase in the 2019 free tertiary education budget to P51 billion from the current allocation of P40 billion.

Of this amount, Diokno said P44 billion is proposed to be released to the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), while the remaining P7 billion will be allocated to the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).

In line with this increase, the budget chief asked presidents and top executives of state universities and colleges to invest in competent faculty.

“Invest in competent faculty. It accounts for more than half of student performance, more than the buildings,” he said during the opening ceremony of the 2018 Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges (PASUC) Midterm Convention in Pasay City.

The PASUC convention is an annual gathering attended by presidents and representatives of state colleges and universities from all over the Philippines.

Earlier, Diokno said the budget requirement for the program may reach close to P70 billion once the student population in state universities and colleges normalizes with the full rollout of the K to 12 program.

The proposed national budget for 2019 is pegged at P3.4 trillion. The Development Budget Coordination Committee also approved a revenue program of P3.134 trillion and disbursement target of P3.708 trillion, resulting to a P574.5 billion programmed deficit.