THE Makabayan bloc in the House of Representatives has filed a resolution urging the House Committee on Appropriations to restore the ₱14.4 billion budget cut imposed by the Department of Budget and Management on all state universities and colleges (SUCs).

Kabataan Party-list Rep. Raoul Manuel, ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro, and Gabriela Women’s Party Rep. Arlene Brosas filed House Resolution 1983, which also seeks to increase budget allocations for the public tertiary system.

The lawmakers noted that in the proposed 2025 National Expenditure Program, the budget for SUCs has been reduced by ₱14.48 billion, or 11.29%, mainly due to significant cuts in maintenance, operations, and infrastructure budgets.

It was reported that 28 out of 116 SUCs are set to face budget cuts. The reductions in Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) amount to ₱516 million across 23 SUCs, while cuts in Capital Outlays total ₱25.70 billion for 55 state schools.

“These budget cuts contradict the policy of prioritizing education amidst a worsening learning crisis that requires more resources to meet the needs of students, teachers, and the entire education sector,” the lawmakers stated.