PASUC: SUCs get P27.3 billion budget increase in 2024

More than a million students enrolled in state universities and colleges (SUCs) across the country will benefit from the P27.3 billion budget increase under the 2024 national budget, the Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges (PASUC) said.

Based on the 2024 General Appropriations Act (GAA), the total new appropriations for SUCs was at P128.2 billion, higher than the P100.9 billion sought under the 2024 National Expenditure Program (NEP).

PASUC President Dr. Tirso Ronquillo said that 1.85 million students enrolled in SUCs nationwide, 72,000 faculty and staff, and 50,000 job order employees and contract of service workers would thus benefit from the P27.3 billion budget increase.

Ronquillo said that the allocation which was sourced from “unprogrammed funds” will be needed for the payment of free higher education deficiencies in school years 2022 and 2023.

He said it would also help SUCs have “adequate resources to effectively perform its core mandates of instruction, research, community engagement and other public undertakings.”  

Based on Ronquillo’s letter to House Speaker Martin Romualdez dated January 10, the allocation would be broken down into:

• P20.1 billion as capital outlay for the “digital resiliency development” or “smart campus system” for seven SUCs; 
• P7.06 billion for payment of free higher education deficiencies in 2022 and 2023;
• P5.3 billion for the “construction/ completion/ rehabilitation of classrooms, academic building/ dormitory/ multi-purpose building” for 40 SUCs;
• P692 million under the maintenance operating and other expenses (MOOE) for the establishment and support of 22 SUCs that have a College of Medicine;
• P273 million for the SUCs’ “Tulong Dunong Program;”
• P232 million from the P2 million each across-the-bord allocation to all SUCs for “Capacity Development on Futures Thinking and Strategic Foresight;”
• P115 million for the increase in carrying capacity of nursing health programs of three SUCs;
• P100 million under the miscellaneous personnel benefits fund for the implementation of the reclassification of faculty positions;
• P30 million as financial assistance to athletes and athletic programs of 16 SUCs; and
• Other increases of P102 million for personnel services);
• P465 million for the yearly MOOE;
• and P43 million for capital outlay. 

To recall, PASUC decried the supposed P4.16-billion funding shortage for free college education in SUCs for 2024 during the budget deliberation season last year.—RF, GMA Integrated News