By Dang Samson Garcia
SENATOR Francis “Chiz” Escudero supported the partial reimbursement to state universities and colleges of the amount they spent in 2022 and 2023 in the implementation of Republic Act 10931 or the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act.
At the same time, Escudero called on SUCs to work within their budget allocation as the reimbursable expenses would only cover up to 10% increase in enrollment based on the policy of the Commission on Higher Education.
The chairman of the Senate Committee on Higher, Vocational and Technical Education said the government is finding ways to reimburse SUCs but it cannot pay them in full due to budgetary constraints.
“For 2022, the total so-called deficiency is P2.75 billion. Magkano sa 2023? Based on the report, it is P4.24 billion, giving a total of roughly P7 billion deficiency for 2022 and 2023,” Escudero told representatives of the Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges led by its president, Tirso Ronquillo of the Batangas State University.
“If we have an opportunity to address that in 2024, we will try to do that. As you heard DBM, they are looking at several formulas on how to pay you back. But they are not paying the entire amount, only a portion or a percentage of it,” he added.
Escudero has earlier supported the Department of Budget and Management’s position, admitting that paying these SUCs in full would be unfair to other government-owned universities and colleges that stuck to their allotted budget.
“Ang problema, alam naman nila ‘yung budget kung magkano ang kino-cover natin sa free tertiary education and yet, they opened their enrolment wide to exceed the budget. Tapos ngayon, maniningil sila,” he said.
He urged PASUC to reach a win-win solution with DBM so that a provision can be inserted in the proposed 2024 General Appropriations Act to finally get their claims.
The CHED reported that the basis of imposing a 10% reimbursement cap is its data that the average increase in enrolment is about 8% annually.
