Legarda underscores need for sufficient SUCs funding

MAGALANG — Senator Loren Legarda stressed the importance of providing sufficient funding for higher education, especially for state universities and colleges (SUCs), to shape knowledgeable communities.

During the hearing on the proposed 2018 budget of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and SUCs, Legarda said that funding the needs of the country’s public tertiary education would encourage more students to enroll in SUCs, including in Science, Technology, Engineering, Agri-Fisheries and Mathematics (STEAM) courses.

In line with this, Legarda, chair of the Senate Committee on Finance, provided additional 10 million pesos

for capital outlay for all SUCs and committed to look for additional funds to provide free Wi-Fi in all SUCs, even as she assured that the Senate will find the budget to implement the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act.

“According to the CHED, enrollment in STEAM courses, even in Agri-Fisheries, has been rising. In order to maintain an upward trend in STEAM enrollment, SUCs must have the equipment, special laboratories, expert trainers and teachers, and scholarship programs needed for the teachers to be able to be competent in giving our students the best STEAM education,” she explained.

“We cannot have leaking classrooms, unpainted buildings, and dirty waterless toilets. Clean structures and buildings are basic needs. More students will be attracted to take up college if our SUCs have the facilities needed and we have competent teachers,” she added.

The Senator also asked SUCs to converge with other agencies of government to provide assistance for research and development to agencies that need such and, vice versa, to access programs of agencies that SUCs need.

For instance, all local government units (LGUs) must have their local climate change action plans (LCCAPs) as mandated under the Climate Change Law. To date, only around 30% of LGUs have complied with the said requirement. “This is where the role of our SUCs becomes crucial. We need to fast track the creation of LCCAPs of all cities, municipalities, and provinces in the country. I ask the University of the Philippines Resilience Institute (UPRI) and all SUCs to help the Climate Change Commission (CCC) in assisting LGUs to formulate their LCCAPs, which can be the tools to access grant-based funding from the People’s Survival Fund, and even from international climate funds,” Legarda explained.

“Our SUCs are valuable institutions in providing quality tertiary education and in building capacities of communities, especially through research and development. This is why we are providing our SUCs the funds necessary for them to undertake their crucial role in our society,” Legarda added.