CHED looking for funds for PDAF scholars

MANILA, Philippines - With the loss of the congressional pork barrel threatening to disrupt the schooling of thousands of scholars, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) said it is now looking for other sources of funds to make sure the students concerned get to enroll – at least in this second semester.

“We will look into other possible funding sources so that the studies of these students will not be affected,” CHED Chairman Patricia Licuanan said.

The scholarships under threat were those bankrolled by lawmakers’ Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), which the Supreme Court had declared as unconstitutional.

In its decision, the SC barred lawmakers from using the remaining PDAF for this year amounting to more than P14 billion.

Licuanan said CHED had asked 111 state universities and colleges (SUC) in October to allow scholars enrolled for the first semester of this school year to enroll for the second semester, as CHED is studying funding arrangement for scholars.

She said possible sources of funds for the scholars are the Higher Education Development Fund (HEDF), a new allocation from the General Appropriations Act, or from the President’s Social Fund.

At the House of Representatives, Minority Leader Ronaldo Zamora said the SC decision “prohibits many things,” including congressional insertions in the budget.

“It prohibits lawmakers from identifying projects. It prohibits (their) participation in project implementation. Congressional insertions are likewise prohibited,” Zamora said.

He said the prohibition against budgetary insertions is very clear in the dispositive portion of the SC decision penned by Justice Estela Perlas-Bernabe, the newest tribunal member appointed by President Aquino.

Because of the ruling, Zamora added that the realigned PDAF in the proposed P2.268-trillion 2014 national budget may be considered a budgetary insertion, and therefore prohibited.

He urged the House to study the implication of the ruling on the P25-billion PDAF for next year, which it has abolished as a lump sum but realigned to several agencies that would implement the congressmen’s projects in their districts.

The biggest amount of the realigned pork barrel funds – about P9 billion – was given to the Department of Public Works and Highways. Other agencies that received budget augmentations included the Department of Health for medical assistance and the CHED for scholarships. – With Pia Lee-Brago