Palace on UP budget cut: SUCs can generate income

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang on Thursday tried to justify the proposed P2-billion cut in the budget of the University of the Philippines (UP) system next year.

In a press briefing, Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said the funds allocated for the country's state universities and colleges (SUCs) such as UP are based on their "road maps to excellence."

Coloma added that SUCs also have their own income-generating means.

"Kaya isinaalang-alang yung mga prayoridad ng bawat SUC. At ang mga SUCs din ay meron din namang nakakalap na pondo sa kanilang mga sariling inisyatiba," he said.

The Palace official also claimed that UP's budget has increased by 90 percent under the Aquino administration, from P6.9 billion in 2010 to P13.1 billion in 2014.

Coloma also trumpeted that the overall budget for SUCs has increased from P23.8 billion in 2010 to P43.3 billion in 2014.

"Sa pangkahalatan, malinaw na naitaas ng Aquino administration 'yung pondo para sa state universities and colleges as a whole at para sa University of the Philippines in particular," Coloma said.

Capital outlay, dorm shortage

Based on the 2016 National Expenditure Program submitted to Congress, the government only proposed a budget of P11.465 billion for the entire UP system, lower than this year's P13.701 billion.

The decrease is attributed to a lower budget proposal for capital outlay, which dropped from P4.606 billion to P1.144 billion.

Capital outlay appropriations are used to finance the construction of new buildings and other similar projects.

The UP system is facing a proposed cut in its capital outlay funds amid the dorm shortage in its flagship campus in Diliman.

Citing a report from UP Diliman Chancellor Michael Tan, Coloma said the university has resolved the dorm shortage and continues to address the housing concerns of students.