The Marcos administration wants P105.6 billion for SUCs in 2024

DSG | The Marcos administration wants P105.6 billion for SUCs in 2024  | MANILA – The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) stated Wednesday that the Marcos administration is proposing to provide PHP105.6 billion for the state universities and colleges (SUCs) in 2024.

The planned budget for the 2024 National Expenditure Programme (NEP) will be utilised to support free postsecondary education and rectify the learning losses brought on by the pandemic, according to a statement from the DBM.

In accordance with the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education (UAQTE) Programme, which provides free tertiary education to about 3,145,098 students countrywide, about PHP21.7 billion of the projected allocation would be allocated to 116 SUCs.

According to the DBM, the planned UAQTE budget for SUCs was PHP3 billion, or 14.32 percent, more than the PHP18.8 billion allocation from the 2023 NEP.

The Commission on Higher Education’s (CHED) programmes would receive about PHP26 billion of the proposed UAQTE budget, whereas PHP3.4 billion would be allocated for the 38,179 enrollees and 10,126 graduates of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority’s (TESDA) free technical vocational education and training.

Through the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education initiative, access to high-quality education will also be a priority on the government’s education agenda, according to Pangandaman.

The DBM announced that SUCs will also get PHP3.4 billion for their infrastructure projects, which would improve the educational experience and assist Filipino youth in realising their potential.

A total of PHP924.7 billion, or 16% of the proposed PHP5.768 trillion national budget for 2024, would be set aside for the education sector.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. emphasised the value of free higher education access for Filipinos in his budget statement, particularly given that the majority of the nation’s educational institutions are already offering full-time face-to-face classes.

This sum, according to Marcos, “will fund significant investments in the education of over 28 million learners nationwide,” as 99.5 percent of public schools already offer 5-day in-person lessons.

As he said, “Improving education facilities is essential for creating a conducive learning environment for all learners, including those in remote and hard-to-reach areas,” emphasising that “well-equipped and well-designed classrooms can foster a positive atmosphere for learning.”(via PNA)