Free tuition program to get P35.4 billion

By Genalyn Kabiling, Manila Bulletin, Aug 26, 2019

The government is planning to spend P35.4 billion to implement the free college tuition program, P20 billion to build classrooms, and P12.6 billion for learning resources next year.

The budget allocations are part of the P673 billion budget of the education sector under the proposed 2020 General Appropriations Act submitted to Congress.

“Prioritizing access to quality education remains a relevant strategy to reduce inequality, enhance capabilities and development competencies,” President Duterte said in his recent budget message to Congress.

“With a total of P109.3 billion we are allocating to Tertiary Education, P35.4 billion will go to the continued implementation of the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education (UAQTE) program, covering the cost of tertiary education for Filipino students of all socioeconomic classes enrolled in SUCs, Local Universities and Colleges (LUCs), and Higher Education Institutions,” he said.

Education will get the biggest slice of the P4.1 trillion national budget for 2020 proposed by the Executive branch.

Under the education budget, the President said the government has set aside P551.7 billion for Department of Education (DepEd), P68.5 billion for 114 SUCs, P40.8 billion for the Commission on Higher Education, and P12 billion for the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).

Of the P36 billion Basic Educational Facilities Program of DepEd, he said P20 billion will be used to build 8,000 classrooms, P4.8 billion to purchase 42,251 school seats, P6.5 billion to repair and rehabilitate classrooms, and P2 billion for the electrification of on-grid schools and energization of off-grid schools in 1,047 sites nationwide.

Around P1.5 billion will be used for the DepEd’s Last Mile Schools program to address shortage in school equipment and textbooks.

The President also said P12.6 billion would be allowed for learning resources to “facilitate the development of students into a formidable human resource.” From this amount, P9 billion will go to the computerization program of public schools; P2.1 billion to fund science and math equipment; P963 million for textbooks and instructional materials; and P595 million for technical vocational livelihood equipment.