The National Union of Students of the Philippines (NUSP)–Cordillera raises the alarm as the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) faces Congress today for its budget deliberations, warning that State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) in the region are among the biggest victims of massive budget cuts for 2026.
According to the proposed National Expenditure Program (NEP) for 2026, 6 out of 7 Cordillera SUCs will receive cuts in one or more budget classifications, with three ranking among the top ten nationwide for the steepest reductions.
Based on the 2025 GAA vs. 2026 NEP figures:
- Mountain Province State University suffers the largest cut in the Cordillera and the second largest nationwide — a staggering ₱961.6 million or -66%, with its capital outlay slashed by 99% (-₱994M).
- University of Abra ranks 5th nationwide, with a ₱336.2 million cut or -48%, concentrated in capital outlay (-₱377M or -98%).
- Apayao State College, 10th nationwide, loses ₱86.7 million or -21%, with capital outlay gutted (-₱125M or -87%).
Kalinga State University (KSU) faces a steep cut of ₱85M or -15%, with its capital outlay nearly annihilated (-₱132.6M or -94%). Even Benguet State University (BSU), the region’s largest SUC, despite showing a net increase overall, still suffers a 46% slash in its capital outlay (-₱24.5M). Meanwhile, the University of the Philippines System, to which UP Baguio belongs, is projected to face a ₱21 billion budget deficit.
These cuts are alarming because they target capital outlay, the very funds for classrooms, laboratories, libraries, and equipment. This reflects the state’s arrogant assumption that there are no longer urgent problems with student facilities, when in reality students still face overcrowded classrooms, outdated laboratories, and scarce digital infrastructure.
These cuts are even more revolting given today’s climate of corruption. Billions continue to be siphoned into anomalous infrastructure projects and confidential funds while schools are deliberately starved of resources. The ballooning allocations for questionable flood control projects only deepen public suspicion. If these funds were properly spent, how many of the urgent needs of Cordilleran students could already have been addressed?
The alliance asserts that the budget cuts amount to an outright attack on the youth and people’s right to education. The students of the Cordillera demand: Stop the Budget Cuts! Fund Education, Not Corruption! Ensure free, accessible, and quality education for all.
Every peso cut from education is a peso stolen from the future of the youth and the people. But history is clear: the more the state attacks education, the stronger our resistance will become.