Joselito Malig

Article (news)

Francis Orcio

ABS-CBN News

MANILA — The Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) on Thursday, September 11, defended its proposed P33.9-billion allocation under the 2026 National Expenditure Program (NEP) before the House Committee on Appropriations, saying the bulk of the funds would go to sustaining free college education and student subsidies.CHEd Chairperson Dr. Shirley Agrupis said P20.7 billion is earmarked for the tertiary education subsidy, while P6.7 billion is dedicated to the Free Higher Education Program.Agrupis noted that higher education enrollment has reached record levels because of the government’s support through Republic Act 10931 or the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act (UNIFAST).“Today, the enrollment in tertiary education reaches to historic 5.2 million [students]. This is due to the continued support of the government under the UNIFAST law,” she said.She pointed out that while programs in business, administration, and law dominate student enrollment, priority fields such as ICT, agroforestry, arts and humanities, and natural sciences remain under-enrolled. Attrition also continues to be a major concern.“In the bachelor’s degree, which ranges from [4- to 5-year program], the attrition rate is really very unfortunate, which is 29.39% with the graduation rate of 62.8%,” she explained.Despite these challenges, Agrupis highlighted that the number of graduates rose sharply in recent years, from 275,000 in 2020 to 2021, to 805,000 today.“This make us catch up the participation rate in the ASEAN region. Before, we lag behind several ASEAN countries. Now, we are catching up second to Singapore in terms of participation rate,” she stressed.Still, Agrupis emphasized the need for an additional P15 billion to fully sustain the free higher education program, support poor but deserving students, and address persistent gaps in infrastructure and tuition standardization.In its 2026 “wish list,” CHEd is pushing for continued funding for student subsidies, infrastructure modernization, tuition fee standardization, and the construction of dormitories and classrooms in state universities and colleges (SUCs). Officials warned that without these allocations, hundreds of thousands of students could be displaced and attrition rates may continue to climb.<div>REFORM AGENDA</div>To address these challenges, CHEd also unveiled its seven-point “achieve agenda,” which Agrupis said is aligned with the Marcos administration’s vision of strengthening public tertiary education.The agenda covers ADVANCED and Accessible Lifelong Learning to expand opportunities beyond traditional college degrees; a CENTRALIZED One-Nation Human Capital Development plan to strengthen the workforce pipeline; and HARMONIZED SDG-Based Research and Innovation to link academic output with global development goals.It also seeks INTEGRATED Real-Time Data Collection and Analytics to improve policy decisions; EXPANDED and Impact-Driven Internationalization to make Philippine higher education globally competitive; VITALIZED Policies, Internal Systems, and Governance to modernize CHEd’s institutional framework; and EFFECTIVE and Efficient Public Service to ensure quality service delivery across the sector.“I would just like to emphasize that our seven-point agenda that is dedicated to address the seven challenges that we earlier identified is anchored in our national vision and our national goal,” she said.

The Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) defended its proposed P33.9-billion allocation under the 2026 National Expenditure Program (NEP) before the House Committee on Appropriations, saying the bulk of the funds would go to sustaining free college education and student subsidies.

The Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) defended its proposed P33.9-billion allocation under the 2026 National Expenditure Program (NEP) before the House Committee on Appropriations, saying the bulk of the funds would go to sustaining free college education and student subsidies.

CHEd asks P33.9-B allocation in 2026 budget to sustain free college program

News

Entertainment

Lifestyle

Sports

Metro.Style

More

Sudoku

Word of the Day

Lotto

Horoscope

Nation

CHEd asks P33.9-B allocation in 2026 budget to sustain free college program

Francis Orcio,

ABS-CBN News

Published September 12, 2025 06:08 PM PHT

Read More:

House of Representatives

budget hearing

CHED

Commission on Higher Education

education

free tuition

ABS-CBN Newsletter

Your go-to source for the latest news, entertainment highlights, exclusive interviews, and updates on your favorite Kapamilya stars.

ABS-CBN Newsletter

Your go-to source for the latest news, entertainment highlights, exclusive interviews, and updates on your favorite Kapamilya stars.

Sign Up

I have read and agree to the Terms and Privacy Policy.

ABS-CBN is the leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines, offering quality content across TV, radio, digital, and film. Committed to public service and promoting Filipino values, ABS-CBN continues to inspire and connect audiences worldwide.

Corporate

Investors

Governance

International Distribution

Corporate

Governance

Investors

International Distribution

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

AI Policy

Terms of Service

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.