Senator Sherwin Gatchalian (Gatchalian's Facebook page)

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian is seeking additional funding of P3 billion to help curb the impending deficit in the implementation of free higher education in state universities and colleges (SUCs) next year.

Based on the 2025 National Expenditure program (NEP), the free higher education program has been allocated a budget of P23.38 billion.

However, according to the Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges (PASUC), P27.078 billion is needed to fully implement the program for the school year 2025-2026. 

This means there is a budget deficit of P3.697 billion for the program. 

On the other hand, Gatchalian estimates that P27.3 billion is needed to implement the free higher education program, particularly when inflation is considered. He said the deficit would reach as much as P3.9 billion. 

Gatchalian, who chairs the Senate Committee on Basic Education, explains that if the deficit is not addressed, SUCs would not be able to deliver quality tertiary education.

The senator noted that additional funding could be used by SUCs to hire more instructors, purchase learning equipment, and build more educational facilities, among others.

“The free higher education will yield the country more students who will graduate with a diploma and that will enable them to get meaningful jobs,” said Gatchalian, who authored Republic Act (RA) No. 10931, otherwise known as the Free Higher Education Law.

In order to address the P3-billion deficit, he said the Senate can “pinch a bit” from the P591.8 billion allocated for the government’s assistance programs, such as the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).

“So maybe later on we can request the chairperson of the Finance Committee kung pwedeng kumurot ng kaunti sa pondo ng ayuda (if we can pinch a bit from the budget for assistance programs),” the lawmaker added, referring to Senator Grace Poe.