From a P24.3-billion budget in 2023, UP is poised yet again to another funding cut, according to the 2024 budget proposal of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) submitted to Congressional leaders this morning.

The DBM only proposed P21.29 billion for the national university in 2024. This is a far cry from UP's original proposal worth P40.8 billion. If approved by Congress, UP could face a deficit of P19.5 billion from its original ask.

UP’s budget proposal was set to fund additional faculty items, honoraria, and benefits, while also pursuing the construction and renovation of infrastructure projects and acquisition of various equipment to support the university’s research projects.

DBM gave priority to the university’s personal services such as giving much needed boosts in compensations and benefits. Meanwhile, its capital outlays, consisting of infrastructure and equipment, are now severely unsupported with only a P52-million budget.

Despite the proposed overall decrease in funding, DBM presented an almost P1-billion increase in salaries, allowances, and benefits, granting the calls of faculty and staff sectors. A big part of DBM’s proposal is reserved for bonuses, including the midyear and yearend bonuses, ending up with a P9.1-billion fund.

UP’s request stems from the longstanding call of the UP Office of the Staff Regent for better programs and benefits. This includes the implementation of benefits under the General Appropriations Act, additional plantilla items, and the regularization of contractual workers. 

Infra Spending Slashed

This year sees DBM shattering UP's hopes for infrastructure splurging as they only gave UP a P52-million legroom to build whatever is extremely necessary. The only funded infrastructure project in the National Expenditure Program (NEP) is for the procurement of laboratory equipment for UP Los Baños (UPLB) BIOTECH with P25 million. The remaining P27 million for capital outlays is allocated under general administration and support, and UP’s higher education program.

UP’s budget proposal this year is very similar to previous years’ proposals with infrastructure being the focal goal of the UP administration. The bulk of UP’s 2024 budget proposal preparation still happened during the term of former UP President Danilo Concepcion, whose term ended in February.

Most notable of UP’s proposed infrastructure projects are the construction of the College of Human Kinetics in UP Mindanao for P700 million, the P513-million Information Technology Center and Student Affairs Building in UP Cebu, and the Big Data Analytics, Computational and Data Center of the UP System for P443 million. These programs, however, are now in limbo.

Beyond the construction of buildings, renovations and rehabilitations could probably be halted as well. In UP Diliman (UPD), for example, a fair amount of UP’s budget proposal was supposedly allocated to the renovation of Benitez Hall (P180 million), Gonzales Hall (P75 million), University Health Service Building (P175 million), and the Old Gym (P100 million).

UPLB shares the same fate with multiple renovation projects amounting to P260.5 million that may be shelved for now. This includes the renovation of the UPLB Student Union Building (P100 million), Institute of Human Nutrition and Food Building (P30 million), Obdula F. Sison Hall (P100 million), and the Department of Military Science and Tactics Building (P30.5 million).

The UP Philippine General Hospital’s fire protection plan project (P150 million) and the multi-specialty building (P400 million) may also be canceled should Congress approves DBM’s funding proposal for UP.

Constant Denial 

DBM’s proposal also sees the setting aside of the university’s science and technology sector, opposite to the university’s interest in funding various research projects this year. UP’s budget proposal forwards the procurement of necessary equipment and the renovation of laboratories, particularly in UP Visayas (UPV).

UPV planned to invest P89 million for the upgrade of teaching-related equipment in the College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, College of Management, and School of Technology. DBM, however, allocated nothing for the said projects.

UP Mindanao, UP Open University, and UP Baguio all similarly requested budget for the modernization of their ICT equipment but got snubbed as well.

It is worth noting that just like UP’s budget proposal, DBM’s proposal is still not final. Congress will start consideration of the NEP this month—the first full budget proposal crafted under the term of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

As part of Congress’s scrutiny of the NEP, UP officials will appear in Congress to defend its budget. Marcos’s allies in the House of Representatives assured him that the chamber will approve the budget before Congress goes on recess in October. The budget bill will then move to the Senate for its scrutiny and approval, before reaching Marcos’s desk.

“Government support to fund these projects is of utmost importance to allow the University to perform its mandate as the premier National University and provide outputs that will contribute to the welfare and development of the country,” UP wrote in its budget proposal. ●