Proposed budget cut for state colleges, universities deplored

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A senior administration congressman decried moves to cut the budget for 59 state universities and colleges (SUCs), and stressed that the reduction is “very anti-poor.”

Rep. Win Gatchalian (NPC, Valenzuela City) lamented reports that some SUCs will have their budgets for maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE) and capital outlay (CO) slashed despite an across-the-board increase in the budget for salaries.

Among those who are likely to suffer cuts is Mindanao State University which will have a funding of 274.2 from the original proposal of 418.8 million.

The CO budget of the University of the Philippines for next year will also decrease by 2 billion.

"Decreasing the budget of SUCs for MOOE and CO is very anti-poor as it will most likely force them to look for ways to supplement their meager budgets, such as increasing tuition and other fees," said Gatchalian, a majority member of the House committees on higher and technical education and on basic education and culture.

Gatchalian is the author of House Bill 5905, also known as the "Free Higher Education Act," which will fully subsidize tuition in all SUCs for all current and future enrollees provided they maintain good academic and moral standing. The measure has already been approved at the committee level.