As higher education in the Philippines continues to suffer from setbacks, students and faculty or staff regents, student councils and publications, and faculty and employees unions called for the restoration of all budget cuts and further increase the allocation for higher education for Fiscal Year (FY) 2024.

In a unity statement, education stakeholders pressed for increments for higher education allocation in next year’s national budget.

Signed by Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) Faculty Regent Ramir Cruz; PUP Sentra na Konseho ng Mag-Aral President Kim Modelo; PUP Unyon ng mga Guro President Arlan Camba; University of the Philippines System Faculty Regent Carl Marc Ramota; UP System Student Regent Iya Trinidad; UP System Staff Regent Vicki Belegal; All UP Academic Employees Union President Perlita Rana; EARIST Faculty and Employees Union President Richard Jamero; UP Manila University Student Council Councilor Kyla Sofia Benedicto; All UP Academic Employees Union- UP Manila Chapter President Reginald Vallejos; and Philippine Normal University Student Regent Elisha Jeu Atayde, the signatories pointed out that budget deficits and lack of adequate facilities hound state and local universities and colleges (SUCs/LUCs).

“Moreover, campus support systems—learning resources, inclusive learning technologies, faculty, staff, and learners welfare and development, to name a few—were severely underfunded,” they pointed out.

The signatories noted that the Covid-19 onslaught also “exacerbated” these conditions.

“Students, faculty, and education support personnel all suffered from the longest school closures,” they said. “Holistic learning and student welfare also declined with the inadequate measures set in place to augment learning losses incurred at the height of lockdowns and shift in modalities,” they added.

The signatories pointed out that education is a “universal right” more so a constitutionally-mandated one.

“Every young Filipino deserves quality, equitable, and accessible education at hand, regardless of socioeconomic status,” they said. “This ensures the attainment of a genuinely democratic and just society that we all envision,” they added.

However, the signatories pointed out that the “government is not keen in providing an education truly for all.”

“It also consistently failed to address recurring ills in the system amid its drive to 'globalize' education,” they added.

2024 budget

The signatories pointed out that in the 2024 National Budget proposals, 30 State Universities and Colleges (SUCS) are set to suffer budget cuts amounting to a staggering 6,155,499,000 decrease.

“Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses dipped despite a steep rise in costs of supplies and utilities,” they said.

Salary increases for faculty, staff, and all government employees “remain uncertain,” the group lamented. Capital Outlay—which covers long-term development of facilities, equipment, and other institutional investments—shares the largest cut, they added.

Given this, the signatories reiterated their call to redirect “excessive and unnecessary” funds to revamp the country’s educational institutions in the sustaining efforts to recalibrate and provide long-term holistic learning to Filipino youth from all walks of life.

“If we are to demand caliber and adaptive outcomes in education, all key players must be supported in this timely and urgent mandate,” they added.