Image Courtesy of: House of Representatives of the Philippines (Facebook Page)

By: Junex Doronio

SAYING the administration of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. strongly supports the Free College Education law, House appropriations panel senior vice chairperson Stella Quimbo of Marikina City on Tuesday gave assurance of sufficient funds for the significant law enacted during the previous Duterte administration.

“We will make sure that we will have sufficient funds to support that law. That is very important for our youth…for them to have access to free college education. It is very important for their future,” Quimbo said.

She answered the query of House Deputy Minority Leader Paul Daza of Northern Samar during Tuesday’s deliberations on the proposed P5.768 trillion budget for 2024.

Quimbo has sponsored the proposed P5.768 trillion budget for 2024 before the House plenary.

On Monday, September 18, Dr. Tirso Ronquillo, president of the Philippine Association of SUCs (PASUC), expressed dismay that the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) only approved P21.69 billion.

But Quimbo stood firm that the PBBM administration has “strong commitment from the DBCC (Development Budget Coordination Committee) that it will support free education.” (ai/mnm)

By Junex Doronio

SAYING THAT EDUCATION IS A RIGHT, not a privilege, several students and parents rallied behind the Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges (PASUCs) as it decried on Monday the P4.16-billion funding shortage for free college education in SUCs under the government’s proposed P5.678-trillion budget for 2024.

Dr. Tirso Ronquillo, president of the PASUC, expressed dismay that the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) only approved a budget of P21.69 billion for state colleges and universities for next year.

Ronquillo is also the president of Batangas State U.

He told the House appropriations panel that they initially proposed P25.85 billion.

“Our projection is based on our projected enrollment and existing tuition in each SUCs. We factored in increase in enrollment, rule of thumb,” the PAS official said.

But DBM Director Grace delos Santos retorted that the budget for free college education in SUCs under the proposed 2024 budget is based on the actual billing or expenses the SUCs spent for the said program in 2022.

On Saturday, September 16, Finance Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno said the free access to state university education is “unsustainable”. (ai/mnm)