Binay hit over claims on reduced SUC budget

MANILA, Philippines - The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) criticized Vice President Jejomar Binay over his claims that the administration has reduced the budgetary allocation for state universities and colleges (SUCs).

“The SUCs’ budget in 2014 was at P35.93 billion, contrary to (his) claim of only P809 million at his recently concluded ‘true State of the Nation Address’,” CHED said in its statement.

During his version of the SONA on Monday, Binay alleged that SUCs requested for a budget of P59 billion in 2014 but were given only P809 million.

CHED confirmed yesterday’s The STAR report that the budget for SUCs has consistently increased since 2011.

“Recognizing the strategic role of SUCs in national development, the Aquino administration has considerably increased the budget of SUCs from P22.03 billion in 2011 to P42.28 billion in 2015,” said the agency.

CHED also disputed Binay’s claims that the Cavite State University (CvSU) and the Isabela State University (ISU) received budget cuts in 2014, saying both schools enjoyed increases that year.

Binay apparently referred to the 2014 National Expenditure Program and not the General Appropriations Act. The NEP shows the “adjusted” budget in its summary of new appropriations, while the GAA is the final version approved by Congress.

In an interview with ABS-CBN News Channel, Budget Secretary Florencio Abad also denied the claims and wondered where the Vice President based his data.

Responding to the allegations, Abad said Binay got his figures wrong, even as he pointed out that the government could not approve all budget requests of all the agencies.

“P800 million versus P59 billion? Who will believe that? All agencies ask for the moon. It doesn’t mean what they ask for we give. Otherwise, the budget would be P10 trillion,” he said.

The budget chief also said it was unfair for Binay to cite cases of budget cuts in some SUCs and make it appear that all institutions suffer a similar fate.

He said some state schools would receive a lower budget because some funds would be allocated for capital outlay for infrastructure projects, while others generate billions in internal income.

“After this year, those infrastructure projects will be finished. They will not need the budget next year. So you cannot give them the same amount of money because the requirement is no longer there,” said Abad.

For instance, while the University of the Philippines faces a P2.236-billion cut, according to the 2016 budget proposal, DBM proposed increases for its personnel services, from P6.636 billion to P7.6 billion, and for its maintenance and other operating expenses from P2.458 billion to P2.719 billion.

The agency also proposed a slight increase in the budget of the Philippine General Hospital, which is attached to UP Manila, from P2.057 billion this year to P2.102 billion in 2016.

But Joey Salgado, Binay’s spokesman for media affairs, yesterday said the Aquino administration has granted only a nominal increase in the budget for SUCs.

Salgado said the increases cited by Malacañang were not real hike in budgets, as it does not take into consideration inflation rates and other factors. – With Jess Diaz, Helen Flores