MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Joel Villanueva raised concern over a P9.757 billion cut to the government’s free tuition subsidy, warning that the reduction could complicate the implementation of a reform law intended to ensure that tertiary education assistance reaches students who need it most.
The free tuition fund was allocated P27.790 billion under the proposed 2027 national budget, down from P37.547 billion in 2026.
The cut comes as Republic Act (RA) 12325, which enhances the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act, moves toward implementation.
“We must also prepare for the implementation of Republic Act 12325, enhancing the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act, which we authored and co-sponsored,” Villanueva said during the budget briefing for the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and state universities and colleges.
CHED’s proposed 2027 budget stands at P35.453 billion, down P12.916 billion or 26.7 percent, from its 2026 allocation.
Villanueva said that only 12.6 percent of Tertiary Education Subsidy grantees in the first semester of Academic Year 2025-2026 came from households enrolled in the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).
RA 12325 was designed to address such gaps by directing subsidies more precisely toward disadvantaged learners.
“We authored this reform because the subsidy was not reaching the students who needed it most. A smaller budget makes that job harder, not easier,” he said.
