Abad: No budget cut for state universities, colleges

Budget and Management Secretary Florencio B. Abad emphasized that state universities and colleges (SUCs) did not suffer a budget cut this year, but were instead given a total of P37.1 billion in 2013, 44 percent higher than their total allocation in 2012.

Abad confirmed this in the wake of recent reports that decried alleged budget cuts imposed on SUCs.

"To say that we decreased the budget for SUCs is grossly inaccurate. As a matter of fact, the Aquino administration gave the sector a 44-percent budget boost over its 2012 allocation, in line with our goal to improve the country's tertiary education system and expand the operational capacity of our SUCs," Abad said in a statement.

Abad added that the University of the Philippines (UP) System received the highest budget, amounting to P9.53 billion in new appropriations under the 2013 National Budget.

"This year, the Administration will pay particular focus on streamlining the curricula of SUCs through the Roadmap for Higher Education Reform. Apart from making higher education more responsive to students' needs, the roadmap will help college students fine-tune their skills so they're primed for jobs in high-performing industries," he said. (PNA)