Kabataan Partylist strongly denounced the House of Representatives for rejecting their proposal to increase the budget allocation for several State Universities and Colleges (SUCs).
In a Facebook post on Friday, October 10, the group expressed disappointment over the lower chamber’s refusal to approve their proposed amendments that sought to raise funding for 25 SUCs that continue to face budget cuts.
“[Rejected] ng Kamara ang proposed amendments nating taasan ang budget ng 25 State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) na may BUDGET CUT pa rin,” Kabataan said.
According to the group, the House maintained that the additional budget already provided for SUCs was “enough,” and no further funds could be granted.
“Sabi ng Kamara, sapat na raw ang idinagdag at wala nang pondong maibibigay pa,” the post read.
Kabataan Partylist, however, strongly opposed that reasoning.
“Mariing tinututulan ng Kabataan Partylist ang pahayag ng Kamara na sapat na raw ang dagdag-badyet sa SUCs,” the group asserted.
They emphasized that many students, referred to as Iskolars ng Bayan, continue to struggle due to insufficient funding and lack of government support.
“Danas ng bawat Iskolar ng Bayan ang hirap na magpatuloy sa kanilang pag-aaral dahil sa kakulangan ng pondo at suporta mula sa gobyerno,” Kabataan lamented.
The group vowed to continue its campaign for sufficient and fair education funding.
“Tuloy ang panawagan at pakikibaka natin para sa dagdag at sapat na budget para sa SUCs,” they declared.
“Deserve ng bawat Pag-asa at Iskolar ng Bayan ang tunay na libre, abot-kamay, at de-kalidad na edukasyon,” they concluded.
Meanwhile, House Committee on Appropriations Chairperson Mikaela Angela Suansing earlier said during Friday’s budget hearing that the committee had already provided what it deemed a sufficient allocation to meet the primary needs of SUC students.