Philippines Budgets PHP4B for Universities
The Philippine government has allocated PHP4 billion (approximately $68M USD) in its 2026 national budget for infrastructure projects at 114 state universities and colleges. The funding is designated to construct new classrooms and facilities to support enrollment expansion across the country's public higher education system.
- This PHP4 billion is part of a total PHP134.9 billion budget for State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) under the proposed 2026 national budget. - The funding aims to address the issue of SUCs being forced to turn away qualified students due to limited capacity; an analysis revealed that 168,493 applicants were denied admission despite meeting the requirements. - Data from 62 SUCs indicated that 32 have already surpassed their intended capacity, with 11 of those institutions at 100 percent occupancy. - The 2026 education budget marks a historic high for the Philippines, reaching PHP1.224 trillion and meeting the United Nations' recommended spending of 4-6% of GDP for the first time. - Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Finance, and Senator Pia Cayetano have been key advocates for increasing the higher education budget. - The 2026 SUCs budget represents a 6.1% increase from the PHP127.2 billion allocated in the 2025 General Appropriations Act. - The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) has an additional proposed budget of PHP33.9 billion for 2026, with a significant portion intended to sustain the country's free college education program. - Beyond this national funding, some legislators are pushing for further infrastructure investment, with one bill seeking an additional PHP25 billion annually over ten years for SUC facilities and student dormitories.
