Makabayan resolution seeks to restore SUCs budget cuts

The Makabayan bloc of lawmakers on Friday filed a resolution urging the House committee on appropriations to return the amount slashed in the total allocated budget for 2024 for State Universities and Colleges (SUCs).

House Resolution No. 1325 said the proposed 2024 appropriations gave only a total of P100,882,313,000.  The amount is lower by 5.75 percent or P6,155,499,000 from the SUCs’ budget of P107,037,812,000 this year.

The budget cut will affect the overall budget of 30 out of the country’s 118 SUCs, including the University of the Philippines System, Mindanao State University, Mariano Marcos State University, Eastern Visayas State University and Cebu Normal University.

The slash will also impact on the budget for Personnel Services of 10 SUCs, operating budget of 39 SUCs, and Capital Outlay of 36 SUCs.

The Makabayan solons said the budget cuts will “gradually dilute the public character of SUCs.”

“It is apparent that the 2.1 million SUC students are the real victims of the continued underfunding of the government. …The youth and the general population stand to lose much if the government does not fully address the inaccessibility of education even in publiclu funded learning institutions,” they said.

“By depriving the youth of free and quality education, the chance of the country for national progress and development is left to chance, and future if our nation is undermined,” they added.

Party-list Representatives France Castro of ACT Teachers, Arlene Brosas of Gabriela, and Raoul Manuel of Kabataan make up the Makabayan bloc at the House of Representatives.

Caloocan 2nd District Rep. Mitzi Cajayon-Uy, the sponsor of the SUCs' budget in the ongoing House plenary deliberations, was noted as co-author of the resolution.—LDF, GMA Integrated News