A House resolution (HR) that seeks the restoration of budget cuts made to state universities and colleges (SUCs) under the P5.268-trillion General Appropriations Bill (GAB) for 2023 was filed Wednesday, Sept. 21 by a Makabayan solon
Filing the measure was Kabataan Party-list Rep. Raoul Manuel. He did so alongside fellow militant solons Gabriela Women’s Party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas and ACT-Teachers Rep. France Castro.
The Manuel resolution noted that 81 SUCs will suffer overall budget cuts.
“In the proposed 2023 national budget, SUCs are given a total budget of P93.08-billion (P93,084,429,000), a decrease of P10.89 billion (P10,894,581,000) or 10.48 percent from this year’s P103.97 billion (P103,979,010,000),” the resolution said.
One SUC, the Marikina Polytechnic College, originally had a budget of P1,150,702,000 under the 2022 General Appropriations Act (GAA). In the 2023 NEP, it saw an 80.92 percent budget cut, taking it down to P219,602,000. This is a decrease of P931,100,000.
“Cuts in operating costs will adversely impact the capacity of SUCs to safely reopen their campuses for full face-to-face classes amid the Covid-19 pandemic. SUCs have also been given limited fiscal space for capital outlay which they strive to augment with their own revenue-generating sources,” Manuel wrote in his resolution.
The legislation also dictates that supplementary funds be allocated to aid in the safe reopening of schools.
“There is also a need to provide an immediate supplementary budget to facilitate further the safe reopening of schools through funding of Proper Ventilation of Learning Spaces, On-Campus Health Facilities and Supplies, Hiring of Human Resources for Health, Support for Private Educational Institutions, Medical Fund for Free Treatment, Internet Allowance for Teachers, Devices for Teachers, Compensation for Work Rendered in Excess of Teaching Hours and Additional Compensation for Co-curricular Activities, Hazard Pay for Teachers and Education Personnel, and Student Aid,” the resolution continued.
During the filing, the solons were accompanied by SUC student leaders, namely: Siegfried Sevrino of the University of the Philippines (UP) System-UP Los Banos, Albiean Reyalde of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP), Latrell Felix of UP-Diliman, Jonas Abadilla of UP-Diliman, and Kairo Co of the University of Makati.
“If our are to be expected to perform their duties, they must be funded accordingly,” it added.