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Loren Legarda: Free college education must be fully funded
Batangas Representative Leandro Leviste is spearheading efforts in the House of Representatives to allocate an additional P12.3 billion for state universities and colleges in the 2026 budget to fully implement the Free Higher Education Act.
This increased funding aims to bridge the identified shortfall in the implementation of free college education, ensuring more Filipino students can access higher education.
The P12.31 billion deficit will be covered by P7.82 billion from the Commission on Higher Education's Higher Education Development Fund and P4.49 billion from other congressional sources.
Senator Loren Legarda also emphasized the critical need to address this funding gap, noting that the Department of Budget and Management's method of calculating enrollment has contributed to the deficiency.
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Congress has committed to allocating an additional P12.3 billion for state universities and colleges (SUCs) in the 2026 budget to cover the implementation of the Free Higher Education Act.
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Senators Bam Aquino and Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan are pushing for increased funding for state universities and colleges (SUCs) in the proposed 2026 national budget, citing a potential P3.29-billion funding gap.
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