SOLID NORTH PL WARNS OF HIGHER ED CRISIS DUE TO BUDGET SLASH

“A double whammy of budget cuts and travel tax abolition could spell doom for higher education sector.”

This was Solid North Party-list Rep. Ching Bernos’ warning as she appealed for a higher budget for the higher education sector, after the Commission on Higher Education asked Congress to grant the P70 billion it initially requested for its proposed 2027 budget.

It was revealed during the House Committee on Appropriations’ budget hearing for CHED in August that the commission had proposed a P70.283-billion budget, but only P35.453 billion was included in the 2027 National Expenditure Program.

“Amid an ongoing crisis in education, we must ensure that we pour enough funds into the sector to ensure that our college students get quality education that ups their chances to be employed in the future,” Bernos said.

But with the reduction in CHED’s budget and the likelihood of travel tax collection being abolished, the lawmaker warned that the sector could be plunged in crisis.

“We are talking about billions lost that could benefit Filipino students to ensure they get a chance at education. Huwag po sana natin hayaang mawala na lang nang basta-basta ang mga pagkukunan ng pondo ng higher education sector,” said Bernos.

The CHED earlier said that without a substitute source, the Higher Education Development Fund would stand to lose 85.6 percent of its funding for scholarships, research and institutional upgrading, and tourism education programs should the proposal to abolish the travel tax be enacted.

Forty percent of total gross collections of the travel tax are required under law to be contributed to the HEDF. In 2025, travel tax collections reached P8.7 billion.

The House of Representatives already approved its travel tax abolition bill on third and final reading. Meanwhile, the Senate has included the proposal in its priority bills and committed to pass its version this year.