Some 43.46 percent, or 49 of the 113 state universities and colleges (SUCs) in the Philippines, are set to receive lower budgets next year under the National Expenditure Program (NEP).
The Department of Budget and Management (DBM), which submitted the NEP to Congress on Aug. 11, said the proposed 2027 budget places the Filipino people at the center of the administration’s final full-year spending plan ‘through major investments in education, health, social protection, food security, infrastructure, jobs, and disaster resilience.’
‘We crafted a budget that prioritizes education, health, social protection, food security, infrastructure, digitalization, and disaster resilience, while remaining consistent with fiscal responsibility. The goal is to spend strategically where public funds can create the greatest and most lasting impact for every Filipino,’ DBM Acting Secretary Kim De Leon said.
But the National Union of Students of the Philippines (NUSP) described the lower proposed allocations for 43.46% of SUCs as ‘massive budget cuts.’
The NUSP said the budget for SUCs in 2027 was cut by more than P3.3 billion, to P134.6 billion from P137.9 billion in 2026, with the University of the Philippines System facing P2.95 billion in cuts.
Among the SUCs set to receive some of the largest cuts are Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU), Camiguin Polytechnic State College (CPSC), Leyte Normal University (LNU), Biliran Province State University (BiPSU), Philippine Normal University (PNU) and J.H. Cerilles State College (JHCSC).
‘How can we expect these universities to provide quality education when funding is being withheld year after year?’ the NUSP asked, as it cited several other problems in the sector, including the worsening shortage of classrooms, learning equipment, teachers and support for students who rely on public education.
It said ‘SUCs should serve as a bridge for millions of Filipino youth, but the Marcos Jr. administration is now depriving us of our future,’ adding that the ‘government continues to shortchange us, while enormous amounts of the budget go toward corruption and fascism.’
Based on NUSP-compiled data from the NEP, the proposed budget for MMSU in Ilocos Norte was cut by 28.88%, to P1.25 billion from P1.75 billion, while CPSC’s budget was cut by 28.31%, to P205.75 million from P286.99 million.
LNU’s budget was cut by 25.91%, to P458.55 million from P618.94 million; BiPSU’s by 25.34%, to P621.39 million from P832.33 million; PNU’s by 25.26%, to P1.17 billion from P1.56 billion; and JHCSC’s by 23.24%, to P463.76 million from P604.17 million.
For the NUSP, the call of the Iskolars ng Bayan across the Philippines is clear: ‘Provide adequate and substantial funding for education.’
It said ‘this should no longer be a matter for the House of Representatives and the Senate to debate year after year,’ adding that the ‘Filipino youth should no longer have to beg for adequate and substantial funding for our future.’
Based on the same data, the SUCs with the largest budget increases are Southern Philippines Agri-Business and Marine and Aquatic School of Technology (SPAMAST), Zamboanga State College of Marine Sciences and Technology (ZSCMST), Caraga State University (CarSu), North Eastern Mindanao State University (NEMSU) and Siquijor State University (SSU).
SPAMAST’s budget rose by 22.66%, to P327.06 million from P266.64 million; ZSCMST’s by 22.62%, to P419.94 million from P342.46 million; CarSu’s by 22.11%, to P1.45 billion from P1.19 billion; NEMSU’s by 22.11%, to P1.74 billion from P1.42 billion; and SSU’s by 20.56%, to P245.08 million from P203.28 million.
Across regions, Eastern Visayas has the highest number of SUCs facing budget cuts, with Eastern Visayas State University the only institution among the region’s 10 SUCs expecting an increase next year.
Eastern Samar State University, LNU, BiPSU, Northwest Samar State University, Palompon Institute of Technology, Samar State University, Southern Leyte State University, University of Eastern Philippines and Visayas State University are all facing decreases in their respective budgets.
Meanwhile, the Cordillera Administrative Region, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Davao Region, Soccsksargen and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao each have one SUC facing a budget cut, out of six, eight, three, six, four and five institutions in their respective areas.
Caraga is the only region without an SUC facing a budget reduction next year