Marilyn Cahatol

The facade of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) Manila Campus on July 14, 2022. George Calvelo, ABS-CBN News

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ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/175230002525620220714-pup-facade-GC-7.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">The facade of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) Manila Campus on July 14, 2022. <em>George Calvelo, ABS-CBN News </em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.&#x27;s decision to <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/7/11/marcos-jr-vetoes-bill-declaring-pup-as-national-polytechnic-university-1847">veto</a> the a bill giving the Polytechnic University of the Philippines more autonomy as was National Polytechnic University was a &quot;rejection of the urgent call for quality education,&quot; the university said Friday, July 11. </p><p>&quot;This decision is not merely a legislative setback—it is a rejection of the urgent call to expand access to quality, inclusive, and relevant public higher education,&quot; the university said in a statement. </p><p>Marcos Jr. vetoed the bill, which would have granted PUP greater fiscal and institutional autonomy, due to its non-compliance with assessment requirements, according to the Palace.</p><div><strong>&#x27;VETO DOWNPLAYS PUP LEGACY&#x27;</strong></div><p>PUP, established in 1904, is the largest higher education institution in the Philippines in terms of population, with over 97,000 students across more than 20 campuses.</p><p>The university administration said the veto message &quot;downplays our achievements and dismisses the significance of our 120-year legacy.&quot;</p><p>It added that PUP, which was elevated to State University and College (SUC) Level III in 2023, was given a budget commensurate to its previous Level II classification, &quot;leading to the loss of plantilla positions and weakening our institutional capacity.&quot;</p><p>&quot;The NPU bill would have addressed multiple critical needs: sustained funding for infrastructure and modernization, expansion of access to underserved communities, strengthening of governance structures, regularization of long-serving staff and faculty, and insulation of our campuses from political interference,&quot; PUP noted. </p><p>&quot;Let this be a wake-up call. Every day that this legislation remains unsigned is another day education is treated as a privilege instead of a right,&quot; it added. </p><p>Students from PUP Sta. Mesa on Thursday staged a protest against the proposed law saying it &quot;poses a threat of commercialization” within the university.  </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/2/25/students-walk-out-of-classes-for-edsa-39-1930">Students walk out of classes for EDSA 39</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>ZUBIRI &#x27;DISHEARTENED&#x27; </strong></div><p>Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri on Saturday said he was ‘disheartened’ by the outcome of the proposed law.</p><p>Zubiri, in a statement, underscored the Senate addressed the objected provisions when the bill was first vetoed by then President Rodrigo Duterte in 2019 due to his “serious reservations on the sustainability” of giving the university fiscal autonomy.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/09/07/19/duterte-vetos-bill-designating-pup-as-national-university">Duterte vetoes bill designating PUP as national university</a></div><p>&quot;This, apparently, was not enough,&quot; the senator said.</p><p>He added that the objections this time could have been worked out between the Senate and the Commission on Higher Education.</p><p>“With this measure, we could have further democratized the SUC sector and created an avenue for more students to receive their college education from a National University,” he said.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/2/3/house-approves-bill-strengthening-pup-declaring-it-as-national-polytechnic-university-2358">House approves bill strengthening PUP, declaring it as National Polytechnic University</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><div style="text-align:center"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/AOJmhWiwx18?si=Tmw3jh5daYTcDiBI" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><br/></div>

<p>President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s decision to veto the bill proposing to declare the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) as National Polytechnic University was a "rejection of the urgent call for quality education," the university said Friday, July 11.</p>

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s decision to veto the bill proposing to declare the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) as National Polytechnic University was a "rejection of the urgent call for quality education," the university said Friday, July 11.

PUP: Marcos Jr.'s veto of NPU bill rejects call for quality education

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PUP: Marcos Jr.'s veto of NPU bill rejects call for quality education

Marilyn Cahatol,

ABS-CBN News

Published July 12, 2025 02:38 PM PHT

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