A TOTAL of 39 State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) administrators have signed a unity statement penned by Kabataan Partylist, calling for the restoration of budget cuts for SUCs and an increase in the higher education budget for fiscal year 2025.

Kabataan Partylist emphasized that the Philippine higher education system has been in crisis for a long time.

“Experiencing the world’s worst and longest school closure has had lasting impacts on the educational community and has posed challenges for administrators, teachers, staff, and students alike,” the group said.

They noted that academic spaces are shrinking and becoming less conducive, and services that support uninterrupted learning are lacking.

“Thus, it is now more critical than ever for the government to recognize, respect, and uphold the Filipino people’s right to education,” they stressed.

The group further stated that education is a fundamental right that should be accessible to all, regardless of socio-economic status.

“However, the current state of our education system fails to adequately address students’ needs due to insufficient financial support,” they explained.

In the National Expenditure Program for fiscal year 2025, SUCs face a significant funding decrease with a total budget cut of PHP14,481,231,000.

The majority of these cuts are focused on Capital Outlay budgets, which include facilities, equipment, and other long-term investments for these institutions.

This comes despite a proposed increase in the budget for the Free Higher Education Program, indicating that the Marcos Jr. administration acknowledges the rising enrollment rates for the next year.