Veto on budget for personnel hiring may affect SUCs enrollment — CHED

State universities and colleges (SUCs) may have to cap its student admissions for the school year after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. vetoed the P43.245 billion in the 2026 national budget intended for the hiring of new government personnel and the payment of retirement benefits, according to the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).

"Ang naapektuhan dito is we may have limitations in increasing the number of enrollment natin," said CHED chairperson Sherly Agrupis at a Palace briefing Tuesday.

(The veto may limit the increase in the number of enrollees.)

"Kung hindi magiging klaro ang hiring ng additional teaching and non-teaching staff, we can only admit or increase enrollment as many," Agrupis added.

(If the guidelines for the hiring of additional teaching and non-teaching staff will not be cleared, we can only admit or increase enrollment as many.)

The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) Philippines earlier criticized President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for vetoing the “Payment of Personnel Services Requirements” in the Unprogrammed Appropriations of the 2026 General Appropriations Act,which was intended for the salaries and regular employment of newly hired teachers and other government personnel, as well as terminal leave benefits for retirees

ACT Teachers Party-list Representative Antonio Tinio said that of the P43.245 billion vetoed, P10.772 billion was intended for the hiring of new personnel, affecting more than 259,000 job order and contract of service workers across the national government, including over 41,000 faculty and staff in state universities and colleges.

The remaining P32.472 billion, Tinio said, was intended for the terminal leave benefits of retiring civilian and uniformed personnel, including police and military members, raising concerns over possible delays or nonpayment of benefits.

""Yes, that is very problematic now in higher education institutions but the law clearly states na wala namang nabago dun, it's just that walang additional COS or JOs. Kung may additional deliverables na hindi nagagawa ng present JOs or COS, pwede i-justify yun,'" she said.

(Yes, that is very problematic now in higher education institutions but the law clearly states there will be no changes. It's just that there will be no additional COS or JOs but if there are additional deliverables that the present JOs or COS can't comply with, then we can justify the hiring.)

Agrupis said the veto will not affect the "teaching and learning environment" in higher education institutions but may impact the hiring of non-teaching staff in SUCs.

"Ang medyo naapektuhan is non-teaching personnel kasi it is very clear na kung ang COS and JO job is already existing, we need to justify kung bakit kailangan pa ng additional COS at JOs," Agrupis added

(The non-teaching personnel will be affected because we will have to justify their employment.)

Meanwhile, CHED also said it is awaiting for the approval of Revised Organizational Structure and Staffing Phase (ROSS) II this year, which will help the commission convert their contract and casual employees to permanent staff. ROSS I was issued in 2025.