DBM releases P9.75B for state universities and colleges

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said it released nearly P10 billion to cover funding deficiencies in more than 100 state‑funded colleges implementing free tertiary education nationwide.

In a statement, the budget department said it disbursed P9.75 billion to the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) to settle its unpaid dues to 108 state universities and colleges (SUCs) dating back to 2022, easing financial pressure that had constrained spending on essential academic programs and campus facilities.

“By settling obligations they had to absorb in previous academic years, we are giving them greater fiscal space to focus their resources on what their campuses and students need,” acting Budget Secretary Kim Robert de Leon said, citing support for academic programs and their amenities.

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The Philippines implements free college education through state universities and colleges, although the program has been hobbled by funding gaps. Last year, the program encountered a P12.3-billion shortfall.

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The amount released to CHEd came from appropriations under the 2026 national budget and the higher education development fund’s special account in the general fund, according to the DBM.

Government priority

The disbursement is a reflection of President Marcos’ commitment to education as a priority of his administration even as it faces “competing demands for limited fiscal resources,” De Leon said.

“Every peso in the national budget has competing demands,” he added. “Our responsibility is to make sure that limited government resources are directed where they are most needed, without compromising other equally important programs and services.”

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De Leon acknowledged that government funding is finite, and the challenge lies in ensuring allocations go to the country’s most pressing needs without disregarding others.

“Government resources are not unlimited. That is why the challenge for us is not only to spend, but to ensure that every peso released goes to the right need, at the right time, and without neglecting other essential public services,” he said. /cb