Education
Proposed low budget for PUP draws scrutiny
September 30, 2026
Polytechnic University of the Philippines Manila Campus (Photo credit: George Calvelo, ABS-CBN News)
What happened?
During House deliberations, Rep. Elijah San Fernando questioned the Polytechnic University of the Philippines' (PUP) proposed ₱3.646-billion budget for 2027. He said that works out to about ₱36,000 per student, 40% below the national average, and pointed to cramped classrooms. The budget sponsor said the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) is working to address funding gaps and committed to seek more for PUP, and for other state universities. PUP has faced consecutive years of budget cuts.
Insights
Free tuition gets students through the door, but adequate funding determines whether they have classrooms and support once they are there. Congress is challenged to study PUP’s proposed allocation vis-à-vis the needs of the university’s nearly 100,000 students. The question extends beyond PUP: Are state universities across the country receiving enough support to provide students with an adequate and comfortable learning environment?