TO PREVENT a funding shortfall in implementing free higher education, the Senate approved Senator Sherwin Gatchalian’s proposal to allocate ₱3.058 billion for 82 State Universities and Colleges in 2025.

Gatchalian’s proposal was incorporated into the Senate’s approved version of the General Appropriations Act (House Bill No. 10800) for fiscal year 2025.

The senator emphasized that addressing funding gaps would help SUCs expand enrollment capacity and meet the rising demand for admission.

The ₱3.058 billion allocation increases the free higher education budget for 2025 by 13% compared to the current National Education Expenditure level.

“A funding deficiency will lead to a deterioration in education quality,” Gatchalian warned, explaining that SUCs would be forced to stretch limited resources to accommodate more students. This could result in overcrowded classrooms, increased faculty workload, and overuse of facilities like laboratories and libraries.

“Sa paglalaan natin ng sapat na pondo para sa Free Higher Education, hindi lamang ang patuloy na pag-aaral ng mga kabataan ang matitiyak natin. Masisiguro rin nating may kakayahan ang ating mga SUCs na maghatid ng dekalidad na edukasyon,” said Gatchalian, co-author and co-sponsor of the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act, also known as the Free Higher Education Law.

Gatchalian also looks forward to the output of a technical working group tasked with resolving funding deficiencies for free higher education.

He pointed out that the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) bases its preparation of the National Expenditure Program on free higher education billings from two years prior. This approach, however, is inconsistent with the Free Higher Education Law, which requires using projected enrollment figures to determine funding needs.

Gatchalian noted that this mismatch has caused the growth of SUC enrollments to outpace the growth in funding. For 2025, SUC enrollment is projected to increase by 62.5% from 2018 levels, while free higher education funding is expected to rise only by 46.1% unless the deficit is addressed.