Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Wednesday said he wants to address the PHP4.1 billion in deficiencies for free higher education in state universities and colleges (SUCs) in the next fiscal year.

During the hearing on the proposed 2024 budget of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and SUCs, Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges (PASUC) President Dr. Tirso Ronquillo reported that the projected Program of Receipts and Expenditures for 2024 is PHP 25.8 billion.

The Program of Receipts and Expenditures is based on tuition and other school fees multiplied by the enrollment rate.

However, the National Expenditure Program (NEP) only allocates PHP 21.6 billion for free higher education in SUCs.

“The problem with the deficit is that it will eat into the cash flow of our SUCs. Meaning, they cannot invest in laboratories, classrooms, or other facilities. In other words, we cannot deliver the quality education that we are aiming to deliver because obviously, in the delivery of quality education you also need facilities, you also need laboratories,” Gatchalian said.

He also noted that despite the increase in the number of college students receiving free higher education, the increase in the budget has not been commensurate.

In 2022, there were 1.6 million student-beneficiaries of the free higher education program while 1.7 million students benefited in 2023.

For each fiscal year, the allocation for free higher education in SUCs however amounted to PHP 18.7 billion.

“I will really work hard to find that PHP4.1 billion to fill in the gap next year. Kaya nga (That’s why) Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education ang tawag sa batas (is the name of the law). We’re not only after access, we’re also addressing quality, but the deficit can slowly erode quality,” Gatchalian said.

For 2024, PASUC projects that 1.8 million students will avail of free higher education.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Institute for Statistics also revealed that as of July 29 this year, the tertiary education participation rate in the Philippines is 51.38 percent, the second highest in the ASEAN region after Singapore, which is at 91.08 percent. (PNA)

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