SENATOR Sherwin Gatchalian said State Universities and Colleges stand to gain a proposed P8.6 billion for infrastructure upgrades, which would significantly expand their capacity to admit more qualified students.

The lawmaker earlier highlighted that due to SUCs’ capacity constraints, at least 168,493 qualified students were denied admission.

The senator’s office reviewed data from 62 of the country’s 115 SUCs and found that 32 exceeded their capacities, with 11 reaching full capacity.

“Sa ilalim ng naturang pondo, mas bibilis ang pagtatayo ng mga silid-aralan at iba pang pasilidad upang mas marami pang kabataang Pilipino ang mabigyan ng pagkakataong makapasok sa kolehiyo,” said Gatchalian, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Finance.

“Layunin nating palawakin hindi lang ang mga gusali, kundi pati ang mga pangarap ng bawat estudyanteng nagnanais magkaroon ng mas magandang kinabukasan,” he added.

During the budget briefing on the proposed 2026 budget, Gatchalian urged SUCs to focus on increasing their academic capacities, including constructing more classrooms and other facilities.