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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Rodriguez explains how P6.2-B budget cut vs SUCs will hurt agriculture sector

Rodriguez explains how P6.2-B budget cut vs SUCs will hurt agriculture sector

Published Sep 25, 2023 03:54 am

At A Glance

  • Cagayan de Oro City 2nd district Rep. Rufus Rodriguez said the country's agricultural sector will take an indirect hit if the P6.2-billion budget cut suffered by 30 state universities and colleges (SUCs) won't get restored under the P5.768-trillion General Appropriations Bill (GAB) for 2024. 

FB_IMG_1678582981745.jpgCagayan de Oro City 2nd district Rep. Rufus Rodriguez (Facebook)

The country’s agricultural sector will take an indirect hit if the P6.2-billion budget cut suffered by 30 state universities and colleges (SUCs) won't get restored under the P5.768-trillion General Appropriations Bill (GAB) for 2024.

Cagayan de Oro City 2nd district Rep. Rufus Rodriguez expressed this fear Monday, Sept. 24 as he supported the SUC's petition for the restoration of their funds.

“Let us support our students in these SUCs by appropriating sufficient funding for their schools, Let us prioritize the education of our youth...Let us return the P6.2 billion taken away from them,” he said.

Rodriguez said that among the 30 public universities and colleges deprived of funds was Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) and several agricultural schools in the provinces.

According to the Mindanaoan, the reduction of funds of agricultural universities and colleges will adversely affect agricultural production and food sufficiency for the country.

He said the 30 SUCs should at least be allocated the same amount of budget they have for this year.

In their petition to restore funds cut from their budgets, the presidents of 30 SUCs said education “is a fundamental right that should be accessible to all, regardless of socio-economic status".

“It plays a vital role in empowering individuals and shaping a just society. However, the current state of our education system fails to adequately cater to the needs of our students due to inadequate financial support,” they said.

Rodriguez revealed that he would write to Hous Speaker Martin Romualdez and Committee on Appropriations Chairman Ako Bicol Party-list Zaldy Co on his restoration proposal.

He noted that he realized the restitution of P6.2 billion to the 30 SUCs would mean getting the same amount from other agencies or appropriations.

“We can reduce funding items for less important expenses like travel, representation and entertainment, vehicle acquisition, office renovation, and even for water, electricity and phone bills to generate forced savings in favor of supporting our students in SUCs,” he said.

Related Tags

general appropriations bill Rufus Rodriguez SUCs
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