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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Legarda Leviste makes quiet contribution to Congress' promise to pay P12.3-B debt to SUCs

Legarda Leviste makes quiet contribution to Congress' promise to pay P12.3-B debt to SUCs

Published Sep 26, 2025 11:45 pm

At A Glance

  • One solon worked quietly behind the scenes and was arguably instrumental in the much-celebrated commitment of Congress to shoulder the P12.3-billion debt owed to state universities and colleges (SUCs).
Batangas 1st district Rep. Leandro Legarda Leviste (center) (Facebook)
Batangas 1st district Rep. Leandro Legarda Leviste (center) (Facebook)


One solon worked quietly behind the scenes and was arguably instrumental in the much-celebrated commitment of Congress to shoulder the P12.3-billion debt owed to state universities and colleges (SUCs).
As a vice chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations, Batangas 1st district Rep. Leandro Legarda Leviste led the pre-plenary budget hearing for SUCs, where they urged Congress to fund the implementation of the Free Higher Education Act in the proposed 2026 national budget.
Legarda Leviste's eagerness for helping funnel more public funds for the benefit of Filipino students should come as no surprise, given his hardcore pro-education stance.
After years of appeals from SUCs to address the lack of funding for the implementation of the Free Higher Education Act, appropriations panel chairperson announced during the plenary debates on the P6.793-trillion General Appropriations Bill (GAB) for 2026 before dawn Friday the government’s commitment to cover for the P12.3-billion deficit.
Specifically, P7.82 billion will be taken from the Higher Education Development Fund of the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) while an additional P4.49 billion will be approved by Congress for this purpose.
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Senator Sherwin Gatchalian also confirmed that the upper chamber will support the increase in the budget for SUCs in 2026 to fund the implementation of the Free Higher Education Act.
Senate Higher Education Committee Chairperson Senator Loren Legarda also expressed her support and organized a meeting with SUC presidents and CHEd Chairperson Shirley Agrupis to discuss the next steps before the additional budget allocation for SUCis is taken up in the Senate.
According to a presentation by Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges (PASUC) President Dr. Tirso Ronquillo, there is a P12.3 billion funding shortfall for SUCs until 2025, and an estimated additional P3.5 billion will be needed to support the expected increase in student enrollment in 2026.
Although the Free Higher Education Act has already helped millions of students, the lack of funding limits the number of slots SUCs can offer. This deprived an estimated 200,000 qualified students of the opportunity to study in SUCs.
Senators Gatchalian and Legarda supported the SUCs’ appeal to increase their budget. This which will be deliberated in the Senate in the coming days and is expected to be granted, so that free college education can be within reach for more Filipino students.
Legarda Leviste, a neophyte House member, is the son of Senator Legarda.
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