REPRESENTATIVE Mark Go sought higher budgets for State Universities and Colleges for 2022, including the allocation of P911 million for four SUCs in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

“I have talked to the DBM and they said they have already submitted the NEP and it’s up to us to decide whether we would like to include this budget,” Go said, referring to the Department of Budget and Management.

Basilan Rep. Mujiv Hataman earlier lamented that the four SUCs in the BARMM were given zero budgets including Tawi-Tawi Regional Agricultural College, Sulu State College, Adiong Memorial Polytechnic State College, and Cotabato State University.

“For the record, curious ako, anong probisyon ng organic law na ipinagbabawal ang national government to subsidize these four institutions when they were created prior to the BARMM. Wala sa probisyon ng organic law ang rason sa pagtanggal ng budget,” Hataman said.

PBA Partylist Rep. Jericho Jonas Nograles expressed concern over the zero budget allocation for SSC.

Nograles warned that more than 5,000 students are in danger of losing access to education or a chance for a better tomorrow because of the zero funding.

Committee on Appropriations Vice Chairmen Rep. Paul Ruiz Daza said that the Committee on Appropriations is finding a solution to the problem.

“Hanapan po natin ng solution iyan. Kami po rito, ‘di kami papayag na i-zero ‘yung four universities,” Daza said.