Gatchalian against proposed cut to CHED scholarship program’s budget

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Sunday expressed hope that a proposed budget cut to the Commission on Higher Education's (CHED) Tulong Dunong program will be reversed.

"Ako ay ipaglalaban natin na ma-reinstate 'yung Tulong Dunong, kung hindi man na the entire amount, at least 'yung amount na kakailanganin for 2019... Dapat ring makita kung ilan po talaga ang nag-avail ng Tulong Dunong," Gatchalian said in an interview on Super Radyo dzBB.

"I think hindi naman problema na mai-restore ito para masigurado na merong pondo kasi for example tatapyasin mo 'yan, sa second [semester] wala siyang budget... kawawa naman ang estudyante," he said.

Last week, CHED Commissioner Prospero de Vera III noted that at least 350,000 students are at risk of losing their state-funded scholarships next year as the allocation for the program was slashed from P4.19 billion this year to P1.19 billion in 2019.

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) earlier said that the CHED's budget was "rationalized" to make way for the implementation of the Free Tuition Law, particularly the Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES) component of the law which was given an additional P11-billion allocation in next year's budget.

For Gatchalian, there should be a "distinction" between Tulong Dunong program and the TES.

"Kailangan pa rin kasi sa experience ko, sa obserbasyon, 'yung Tulong Dunong mabilis ibigay sa estudyante kasi maliit lang 'yung halaga. Typically ang nag-a-administer niyan ay 'yung mga state universities and colleges. Mabilis 'yung pagbibigay at localized," Gatchalian said.

"'Yung TES mas malaki 'yung amount na ibibigay dahil ito 'yung poorest of the poor. Ang Tulong Dunong is allowances, exclusive 'yan sa mga pampublikong unibersidad, ang TES ay nasa private schools so 'yun ay distinction niya," the senator added.

Gatchalian pointed out that the difference between the school year and the budget calendar may have had a bearing on the situation.

"Maraming estudyante ang nakikinabang diyan at 'yung nangangasiwa dito sa pagbibigay eh 'yung state universities and colleges... so mahalaga itong programa na ito. Sa tingin ko dahil nga sa pag-adjust ng budgeting natin, nagkaroon ng problema dito po sa pondong ito atsaka kung matatandaan natin, ang school year is normally from June to April of next year," Gatchalian said.

"Ang budgeting naman natin is from January to December so makikita natin na 'yung school year o budget year magkaiba. Kaya tingin ko dahil nga dito sa magkaibang calendar ay nabawasan itong Tulong Dunong program," he added.

Gatchalian said he supports De Vera's proposal that the commission's scholarship programs be exempt from budget cuts.

"Nakausap ko po si Chairman Popoy De Vera at isa sa mga proposal at ako po ay sumasang-ayon dito ay lagyan ng exemption 'yung Tulong Dunong at iba pang scholarship program dahil nga iba 'yung kanilang calendar year o school year," he said.

In a separate Super Radyo dzBB interview, Senator Sonny Angara reiterated that despite the slash to Tulong Dunong program's budget, the budget for free tuition will increase.

"Ang lumitaw is lumiit ang pondo sa Tulong Dunong which is P4 billion last year, ngayon P1 billion na lang. Pero lumaki naman ang kabuuang budget ng Higher Education which includes the budget for 'yung Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education or Free Tuition College Law," Angara said.

Under the Tulong Dunong program, each beneficiary enrolled in either a public or private university as recommended by the local government and local officials will be granted P12,000 worth of financial assistance in a year.

The TES program, meanwhile, provides a government subsidy of P40,000 a year to each scholar  enrolled in a public university and P60,000 a year to each scholar studying in a private school. — Anna Felicia Bajo/BM, GMA News