The Senate has approved Senator Sherwin Gatchalian’s proposal to allocate an additional ₱3.058 billion for 82 State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) in 2025.
The funding aims to address budget shortfalls in implementing the free higher education program across the country.
Gatchalian’s proposal was adopted in the Senate’s approved version of the General Appropriations Act (House Bill No. 10800) for 2025.
According to Gatchalian, the additional funding will enhance the capacity of SUCs to accommodate more students, enabling more Filipino youth to benefit from free college education.
The ₱3 billion boost marks a 13% increase in the total free higher education budget for 2025 compared to the National Education Expenditure (NEP) allocation.
Gatchalian warned that inadequate funding could lead to a decline in education quality as SUCs might struggle to manage limited resources with increasing student enrollment.
He emphasized that budget constraints could result in overcrowded classrooms, overburdened faculty, and excessive use of facilities like laboratories and libraries.
The senator expressed hope that a technical working group would provide additional solutions to address funding issues related to free higher education.