HOUSE Committee on Higher and Technical Education Chairperson and TINGOG Party-list Rep. Jude Acidre has welcomed the increase in funding for State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) under the 2026 national budget, calling it a strong vote of confidence in public higher education.

Under Republic Act No. 12314, or the General Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2026, a total of ₱137.904 billion has been allocated for 113 SUCs (counted as 115 for budgeting purposes). This represents a ₱9.079-billion increase from the original proposal.

Acidre expressed gratitude to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III, Majority Leader Ferdinand Alexander “Sandro” Marcos, and House Appropriations Committee Chairperson Mikaela Suansing for their support for the education sector.

He also credited the collective efforts of SUC leaders nationwide, working closely with Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Chairperson Shirley Agrupis and Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges (PASUC) President Dr. Tirso Ronquillo, for ensuring that SUCs’ needs were addressed in the final budget.

A significant portion of the 2026 GAA aims to address funding gaps in the government’s Free Higher Education (FHE) program. This includes ₱4.486 billion under CHED’s Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education budget to settle FHE shortfalls from Academic Years 2022–2023 to 2024–2025. An additional ₱7.821 billion from the Higher Education Development Fund has been earmarked to cover both past deficiencies and projected needs for AY 2025–2026.

Beyond tuition support, the budget allocates ₱50 million for a Futures Thinking Research Program involving 25 SUCs, and ₱5.64 billion in capital outlay for the construction, rehabilitation, and completion of classrooms, academic buildings, and multipurpose facilities in 112 SUCs. Another ₱70 million has been set aside for facility repairs in three SUCs, alongside increases of ₱2.76 billion in maintenance and other operating expenses and an additional ₱560 million in capital outlay.

The 2026 budget also introduces a key reform by basing FHE funding on projected enrollment figures submitted by SUCs instead of prior-year data—a move Acidre said would better reflect actual student needs.

Acidre said the increased funding will help SUCs fulfill their core mandates in instruction, research, community engagement, and public service. He noted that more than 2 million students, along with around 100,000 faculty and staff and 55,000 job order and contract workers, are expected to benefit from these investments.

He reaffirmed TINGOG Party-list’s commitment to what he described as caring and responsive governance, particularly in ensuring greater access to quality education and opportunities for Filipinos.