Recto open to expanding free university program

FINANCE SECRETARY Ralph G. Recto declared his support for more investment in education, including the possible expansion of the program offering tuition-free state university education.

“I think we should expand… anything about education. We had a discussion with the Office of the Chief Economist and we keep on talking about ‘Build, Build, Build,’ which is correct… (but) I think we should also highlight education,” Mr. Recto told reporters on the sidelines of an event on Tuesday.

His predecessor, former Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno, had argued against Republic Act 10931, or the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act of 2017.

Under the law, eligible students receive free tuition and are exempt from other fees charged by state universities and colleges, as well as local universities and colleges.

Mr. Diokno had called the program is fiscally unsustainable and “antipoor.” He instead recommended improving basic education and a means test to determine eligibility for free tuition.

Mr. Recto said the government should make space for education, calling it the “most important investment.”

“No matter how much infrastructure you build, it’s the people who will be using that infrastructure productively so if they’re not educated, how will they use it productively?”

“Of course it’s a mix of where we spend it — primary, secondary, tertiary? There’s always going to be that debate, but what’s important is that we spend more on education,” he added.

The Constitution requires education to take up the largest share of the national budget.

This year’s P5.768-trillion spending program sets aside P924.7 billion to education programs. The Department of Education itself will be allotted P758.6 billion. —