With the massive cuts in the budget for state colleges and universities, students could expect more increases in tuition and other fees. This would make tertiary education more inaccessible to the poor.
By JANESS ANN J. ELLAO
Bulatlat.com
MANILA — The previous Arroyo administration was criticized for providing meager budgets for state colleges and universities (SUC), thereby forcing these higher education institutions to raise tuition and other fees, making it less accessible to poor students. But with President Benigno S. Aquino III’s proposed budget for 2011, things are heading for the worse.
“Aquino and his budget team should refrain from issuing statements that education is a major priority of the current administration when in fact, he is slowly abandoning the youth,” Kabataan Rep. Raymond Palatino said, adding that the neglect of higher education was a trademark of former president Gloria Arroyo’s administration.
In his budget message submitted to the 15th Congress on August 24, Aquino said, “We are gradually reducing the subsidy to SUCs to push them toward becoming self-sufficient and financially independent, given their ability to raise their income and to utilize it for their programs and projects.”
But Palatino said that by “allowing SCUs to generate income and enter into partnerships with the private sector would only mean higher tuition, and consequently, higher drop-out rates and decreased access to tertiary education.” He added that this “diminishes the public character of SCUs, which are supposed to provide quality and accessible education to those who cannot afford it.”
The budget for the University of the Philippines, the country’s premier state university with a population of 52,000, has been slashed by P1.39 billion ($31.52 million at an exchange rate of $1 = P44.1) or by 20.11 percent this year. Other state universities such as the Philippine Normal University, with a population of 10,000, and Bicol University, with a population 20,000, received budget cuts by 92 million ($2.09 million) or by 23.59 percent and P88 million ($1.99 million) or by 18.82 percent, respectively.
Among the SCUs with the worst budget cuts by percentage are:
• Philippine Normal University (23.59%)
• Aurora State College of Technology (22.21%)
• Cerilles State College (21.95%)
• University of the Philippines (20.11%)
• University of Southeastern Philippines (20.03%)
While the SCUs with the worst budget cuts by nominal value are:
• University of the Philippines (P1.39 billion or $31.52 million)
• Philippine Normal University (P91.35 million or $2.07 million)
• Bicol University (P88.81 million or $2.01 million)
• University of Southeastern Philippines (P44.39 million or $1.01 million)
• Central Bicol State University of Agriculture (P31.65 million or $717,687)
In a joint statement, progressive youth groups said the education budget cuts infringe on the right to education and the constitutional mandate of the government to make education accessible to all. “It is tantamount to the government’s abandonment of its responsibility to guarantee every Filipino’s right to education,” they said.
Operating Expenses
Moreover, the National Union of Students of the Philippines (NUSP) criticized the significant reduction of the SUCs budget for Maintenance and Other Operating Expenditures (MOOE) by P1.1 billion ($2.93 million) from 2010, or by 28.16 percent. NUSP national president Einstein Recedes said that 15 SUCs had budget cuts of more than 50 percent on their operating expenditures while the budget for operations of 17 others were cut by exactly 10 percent.
The SCUs with more than 50 percent budget cut in their MOOE are:
• Southern Philippines Agri-Business & Marine and Aquatic School (66.27%)
• Southern Leyte State University (64.03%)
• Central Bicol State University of Agriculture (57.96%)
• Partido State University (56.83%)
• Nueva Vizcaya State University (53.65%)
• University of the Philippines (51.85%)
• Aurora State College of Technology (51.84%).
Pingback: Are Public School Students Too Dumb (Or Scared) to Pass UPCAT? | Discolored ng Bayan
may I just asked if what are the reasons of the government in decreasing the budget for SUCs in our country? I can’t find the real motive why did they do that. thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hiya, I am really glad I have found this info. Nowadays bloggers publish just about gossips and net and this is really frustrating. A good web site with interesting content, this is what I need. Thank you for keeping this web site, I will be visiting it. Do you do newsletters? Cant find it.
.. this cut-off sounds so bad!!
dahil sah budget cut maraming kabataan ang natigil xah pag-aaral. say no to budget cut…
@youSHOULDbeAWARE
tama ka,…gawin mang 10 years sa lahat ng level,.kung yung quality ng education ay mababa,..wala ding silbi..
wala pa ngang budget cut nahihirapan na,.how much more with the presence of budget cut???that’s why i can’t blame if some students choose to be rebels,with the present situation of Phil. gov’t,.where in more plans SUCKS..i can’t blame those who prefer to be anti-gov’t…..
grabe na!sobra na!consistent budget cut from the past decade..is this the promise of better and accessible education of the aquino regime? pinapahirapan nila ang mga iskolar ng bayan! ang mga buwaya at gahamang opisyal ng pamahalaan,lumalangoy sa pera! Hindi sapat ang mga IGP ng mga SUCs to support the expenses ng isang university..
to Mr.Aquino: THINK! RE-ASSESS! SAYANG ANG TIWALA NG TAONG BAYAN SA’YO!
@informed opinion
dre, sa tingin mo magkakaroon ng IGP ang UP at iba pang university kung sapat ang binibigay na budget ng gobyerno? ikaw ata ang kailangang mag-isip eh, ikaw ang nagmumukhang tanga. better shut up you rightist who says such ridiculous things while not even knowing the current situation of the philippine education.
@roland
dre, nakakabobo sagot mo ah. isipin mo nga, kailangang bang isakripisyo ang tertiary education para sa primary at secondary education, or simply for the so called k+12? if you agree with that, then i’ll roll on the floor while laughing. bakit kailangang magsakripisyo ha? eh ang tertiary education ang nagproproduce ng mga professionals, so pag nabawasan ang suporta sa tertiary education, mataas ang probability na dadami ang mga drop-outs dahil walang pang tuition, thus mas mababawasan ang mga professionals ng Pilipinas. so in other words, puro man power nalang ang Pilipinas, at malabong makakayanan pa ng Pilipinas na makipagsabayan sa ibang bansa sa mga darating na taon kung ganoon ang mangyayari. at isa pang dahilan kung bakit hindi naman kailangan ang k+12 eh dahil kung ang sistema ng pagtuturo, kung ang kalidad ng edukasyong ibibigay ay sobrang baba, abay kahit na dalawampung taon ka pang mag-aral ng high school eh wala ka paring mapapala.
mag-isip naman kayo ng mas magandang paraan ng pagsuporta sa budget cut kuung gusto niyong magpost. pinapahiya niyo sarili niyo eh. akala niyo kung sino kayong mga mayayaman na afford na afford ang kahit sobrang mahal na tuition.
LIBRO hindi BALA!!! EDUKAYON hindi GYERA. NO to budget cuts!!!
mukhang mas masarap mabuhay dito sa middle east. walang tax! walang kung anu-anong fees imposed by the govt. ang lalawak ng mga kalsada at walang toll fee. mura ang petrolyo, lpg, kuryente't tubig, gulay at higit sa lahat chocolates. hay naku. saan ba ang tamang daan na ipinangako? obama at aquino? parehong paasa lamang!
Pingback: Magical 100 days « Chronicles of Carlos
budget for education was slashed because most state universities and colleges were already given IGPs or income generating projects. UP has the ayala technohubs, PUP has an incubation call center, some lease the stalls in their vast space, etc etc. I hope militant student research muna before they conduct mass actions kasi napapahiya lang sila. ako nga natatawa sa kanila. nagmumukhang idiot lang
Pingback: Unmasking the promise of Aquino’s US trip « Chronicles of Carlos
Pingback: A closer look at Aquino’s ‘reform budget’ « Chronicles of Carlos
If they cut the state universities' budgets, the essence of being a "state" university is lost. I am a student from the University of the Philippines and I am greatly helped by lower tuition fees and high quality education as compared to the other schools in my place. If a great amount of budget is cut, then most of us would probably drop out. Great minds who are underprivileged will be cut off from real education that is absent in other expensive tuitioned schools. And instead of making great leaders, we will have the rich capitalists richer, making more corrupt individuals who never even experienced how it is to be in poverty. They'll only benefit those like them and neglect the needs of the masses.
Higher transit fees, higher toll fees, cuts in education, continuation of Oplan Bantay Laya, reductions in the judiciary budget—looks to me like rougher times ahead for most people. And who better to bring this on than somebody that seems more trustworthy than other aspirers to lead this country? So, the sacrifice would come from ordinary folks, as Pnoy leads us to the promise land of more private sector investments. Just as working class Americans feel the pain of budget cuts, as Obama, “the chosen one,” leads the U.S. out of its economic doldrums. What a deft move! Welcome to the future of more surplus value of labor in the pockets of capitalists. And they ain’t giving it back when times get better. That’s the game plan—squeeze them more!
Im sure this budget cut is for the 12 year basic education…we should not value this as rough.Haven't you aware of prioritizing?For a government to effectively implement a project they need to sacrifice some things.In this case P'Noys' move is a great help for the Philippines hoped progress.By having basic education strengthen helps a lot of Filipino citizens to be more capable of various works.Thus, Philippines will hand success.
This is only good for those who can afford a higher tuition fees. Imagine there are over 3 million Filipino families whose suffering from the government's corrupt leaders or in short, poverty. How can an accessible and quality education be attain if these happens? This plan is only driving poor Filipino families in emptiness, more burdens, to work harder and harder yet our government is making this accessible and quality education a business. Squeezing more money from the poor. In conclusion, this plan SUCKS!!!
Think deeper Mr. President. don't put yourself in shame!