Gatchalian wants additional classrooms, facilities in SUCs; more students availing of free higher education

To ensure that more students can benefit from free higher education, re-electionist Senator Win Gatchalian is proposing the inclusion of State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) in the "Build, Build, Build" program of the government to build more classrooms and school facilities.

"Maraming gustong mag-aral sa college, maraming pumapasa ng entrance exam pero hindi nakakapasok ng SUCs natin, kahit sa Local Universities and Colleges, dahil sa limited capacity," Gatchalian said.

"We need to address this issue by building more infrastructure, kaya kailangan din ng Build, Build, Build program sa ating mga SUCs para mas maraming classrooms at laboratories at matanggap natin yung mga pumasa ng entrance exam," the lawmaker added.

It can be recalled that during the 2022 national budget deliberations, Gatchalian flagged that problems in absorptive capacity or the lack of classrooms, laboratories, and other facilities prevent SUCs from accepting some qualified students. The lawmaker pointed out that addressing problems on absorptive capacity would increase the number of students that would benefit from free higher education and increase the country's participation rate in higher education.

Gatchalian is one of the co-authors and co-sponsors of the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act (Republic Act No. 10931), which is also known as the free higher education law. He pointed out that despite increases in the annual budget for free higher education, the budget of SUCs for capital outlay did not increase commensurately.

To date, around 1.6 million students from 114 SUCs and 106 LUCs nationwide no longer pay tuition and miscellaneous fees because of the Free Higher Education program. Meanwhile, an additional 436,000 students benefit from the Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES).

According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Institute of Statistics, participation rate in higher education in the Philippines is at 41%, which includes enrollment in Technical-Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programs.

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Gatchalian: Magdagdag ng classrooms para madagdagan din ang benepisyaryo ng free higher education

Upang madagdagan ang mga mag-aaral na nakakatanggap ng libreng kolehiyo, ipinapanukala ng re-electionist na si Senador Win Gatchalian ang pagpapalawig ng programang "Build, Build, Build" ng gobyerno sa mga State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) upang makapagpatayo ng mas maraming mga classroom at iba pang mga pasilidad.

"Maraming gustong mag-aral sa college, maraming pumapasa ng entrance exam pero hindi nakakapasok ng SUCs natin, kahit sa Local Universities and Colleges, dahil sa limited capacity," ani Gatchalian.

"Kailangan nating makapagpatayo ng mas maraming imprastraktura. Kailangan ng Build, Build, Build program sa ating mga SUCs para mas maraming classrooms at mga laboratoryo nang sa gayon ay matanggap na rin natin yung mga pumasa ng entrance exam," dagdag na pahayag ng senador.

Matatandaan na noong tinalakay ang panukalang 2022 national budget, pinuna ni Gatchalian na ang limitadong absorptive capacity ng mga SUCs-o ang kakulangan ng mga silid-aralan, laboratoryo, at iba pang mga pasilidad-ay nagiging sagabal sa mga SUCs upang matanggap ang ilang kwalipikadong mga mag-aaral. Kung matutugunan ang mga suliraning ito, dadami pa ang mga mag-aaral na makikinabang sa libreng kolehiyo at tataas din ang participation rate ng bansa pagdating sa higher education, ayon sa senador.

Isa si Gatchalian sa mga may akda at co-sponsor ng Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act (Republic Act No. 10931) na kilala rin bilang free higher education law. Bagama't taon-taong tumataas ang pondo para sa libreng kolehiyo, tinukoy ni Gatchalian na hindi naman nagkaroon ng katumbas na pagtaas ng budget sa capital outlay ng mga SUCs.

Sa kasalukuyan, may 1.6 milyong mga mag-aaral mula sa 114 na mga SUCs at 106 na LUCs sa buong bansa ang hindi na nagbabayad ng matrikula at miscellaneous fees dahil sa Free Higher Education program. May halos kalahating milyong mag-aaral naman ang kasalukuyang benepisyaryo ng Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES).

Ayon sa United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Institute of Statistics, ang participation rate ng bansa pagdating sa higher education ay nasa 41 porsyento, kabilang ang enrollment sa mga programa ng Technical-Vocational Education and Training (TVET).