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Institutionalize funding for medical schools: Sen. Pia Cayetano pushes for the institutionalization of funding for medical courses for State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) and vows to fight for a better budget allocation every year to address their concerns. During Tuesday’s budget hearing, October 1, 2024, Cayetano, who presided over the Finance Subcommittee D, said regular funding for medical schools has been in place and she will keep fighting to make it better every year. “One of the examples is the funding for our medical schools. A lot of funding for medical schools emanated from the Senate, not a lot but all. And then it took a year or two for Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to put it in their National Expenditure Program (NEP). So, we are always arguing and fighting for this funding to become institutional funding so that every budget season we will no longer dig fund for this program,” Cayetano explained. “So our goal for 2025 is to ensure that the SUCs receive funding at least equal to last year but I am not aware that we have just been given equal, from my recollection, we always increase it over the years because your need have not been addressed and that is very clear to me,” she added. Under the NEP, SUCs’ proposed budget is P113.7-billion for 2025. (Senate Public Relations and Information Bureau)