The Kabataan Partylist and youth groups are pushing against the Marcos regime’s budget cuts for state universities and colleges (SUC) in the 2025 proposed budget. In the proposal, Marcos slashed ₱14.48 billion from the SUC budget, down by 11.29% compared to its 2024 allocation.

On August 29, the Kabataan Partylist filed a resolution in the House of Representatives to restore the amount. It condemned the Marcos regime for disregarding the education sector while increasing its funding for the defense sector by 51%.

In the regime’s proposed budget, it allocated ₱113.75 billion from the previous ₱128.23 billion this 2024 for SUCs. Meanwhile, the defense sector budget climbed to ₱419 billion for 2025 from ₱278 billion this 2024.

The youth party said 28 of the 116 SUCs will have their budgets slashed, including Marinduque State College (81.76%), Romblon State University (81.89%), Bicol University (66.76%), Central Bicol State University of Agriculture (60.24%), Cebu Normal University (78.79%), Mindanao State University (59.82%) and MSU Tawi-Tawi College of Technology and Oceanography (74.6%).

The total deduction for maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE) in 23 SUCs reached ₱516 million. Around ₱25.7 billion is deducted from the capital outlay or cost to build facilities, services and infrastructure in 55 schools. At the last count, 2.1 million students attend SUCs.

“Funds are clearly sufficient, but instead of funding education, which the constitution prioritizes, these go to weapons and bombs for war and suppression of the people,” Kabataan Partylist Rep. Raoul Manuel criticized.

SUCs are forced to commercialize to compensate for the lack of funds and the deficit they face every year, the lawmaker said.

The youth party is also pushing to increase the budget in the education sector to 6% of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Rep. Manuel and legislators of Makabayan Bloc concurrently filed such resolution, which pushed for ₱1.53 trillion budget for education.

The party said this is only possible if Congress decisively reallocates funds from programs prone to corruption and those utilized for militarist agendas.