Add'l P12-B budget for SUCs backed by Congress

After years of appeals from state universities and colleges to address the lack of funding for the implementation of the Free Higher Education Act, Congress has committed to allocate an additional P12.3 billion for the 113 SUCs in the 2026 General Appropriations Act, Batangas 1st District Rep. Leandro Leviste said yesterday.

- By JOSE RODEL CLAPANO

As vice chair of the House committee on appropriations, Leviste led the pre-plenary budget hearing for SUCs, where officials urged Congress to fund the implementation of the Free Higher Education Act in the 2026 budget. He also sponsored the proposed budget in plenary.

House appropriations chairperson Mika Suansing confirmed that the P12.3-billion budget deficit for SUCs will be addressed in the 2026 budget, which includes P7.82 billion from the Higher Education Development Fund of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and an additional P4.49 billion to be approved by Congress.

Senate finance committee chairman Sherwin Gatchalian likewise confirmed that the Senate will support the budget increase for SUCs in 2026 to fund the implementation of the Free Higher Education Act.

Senate higher education committee chair Loren Legarda also expressed support and organized a meeting with SUC presidents and CHED Chair Shirley Agrupis to discuss next steps before the additional budget allocation for SUCs is taken up in the Senate.