Thirty-nine State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) are urging Congress to restore the P14.481 billion cut in their budgets in the 2025 national budget, which they claim jeopardizes affordable education.
On September 17, Kabataan Partylist and SUC representatives met with the House appropriations committee to discuss the institutions' reduced budgets.
The presidents of these SUCs signed a unity statement calling for the restoration of over a tenth of their 2024 budget.
They also requested budget increases to improve services for students and faculty.
"An additional budget is needed for our learning institutions to regain their public character and support student services and faculty development," read the statement.
The call comes in response to significant reductions in SUC capital outlay budgets for infrastructure and equipment.
For instance, the University of the Philippines is set to receive only P202.5 million in 2025, a steep 93.5-percent drop from P3.097 billion in 2024.
The SUCs criticized the cuts, especially when the Marcos administration proposed an increased budget for the Free Higher Education Program due to rising tuition costs.
They emphasized that shrinking academic spaces and inadequate services hinder the learning environment.
"Education is a fundamental right that should be accessible to all," the signatories reiterated, stressing the importance of proper funding for SUCs to fulfill their role as educational institutions.
The plenary debates on the 2025 SUC budget will take place on September 18.
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