Nangako si House Committee on Appropriations chairperson at Nueva Ecija Rep. Mikaela Angela Suansing na makikipagtulungan sa mga kaukulang ahensya ng gobyerno upang tugunan ang kakulangan sa pondo para sa free higher education at para matukoy ang ugat na problema na paulit-ulit na nangyayari.
Sinabi ni Suansing na layunin ng gobyerno na mapakinabangan nang husto ang Higher Education Development Fund at matiyak na ang pondo ay tumutugon sa aktuwal na pangangailangan ng State Universities and Colleges (SUCs).
“The House leadership, headed by our Speaker Bojie Dy, Majority Leader Sandro Marcos, and yours truly, will work together to continue finding ways to figure out and address what is really causing these deficiencies,” sabi ni Suansing sa Affirmation of Compliance and Commitment to Settle the Free Higher Education Deficiency na ginanap sa Andaya Hall ng Kamara noong Huwebes.
Iginiit ni Suansing ang kahalagahan ng patuloy na pagtutulungan ng liderato ng Kamara, Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Department of Budget and Management (DBM), SUCs, at Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges (PASUC) upang matugunan ang problema sa pondo.
“We are working with CHED, DBM, and PASUC and all our SUCs because I know that there is a fundamental issue with the formula. There is a discrepancy between the estimates and the actual enrollment and utilization of different universities,” sabi ni Suansing.
“Ayaw ko naman po na every year naghahabol tayo, every year, may deficiency, and every year we need to bridge it for the following year,” dagdag pa nito. “We would like to reaffirm our commitment to our SUCs. Rest assured that that’s what we are working on, hoping that moving forward, we will be able to address that.”
Ibinahagi rin ni Suansing ang kanyang karanasan bilang government scholar at iginiit ang naging papel ng mga institusyong pang-edukasyon ng gobyerno sa paghubog ng kanyang buhay, gayundin ang kanyang pangako na matiyak na patuloy na magkakaroon ng access sa de-kalidad na edukasyon ang mga estudyanteng Pilipino.
“Bilang naging iskolar din po ng bayan, na nagpaaral po sa akin ay ang ating gobyerno, I want to give back to our country, to our students,” sabi ng lady solon.
“I always say that the foundation that I got from our government education institutions, from our systems here, is what propelled me forward, so I will always be indebted to the Philippine government education system for molding me into the person I am today,” dagdag pa ni Suansing.
Tiniyak ni Suansing sa mga SUC at estudyante na patuloy na makikipagtulungan ang Appropriations committee sa kanila upang mapalakas ang sistema at maihatid ang mga pangangailangan ng mga estudyante at educational institution.
Bukod kay Suansing, dumalo rin sa pulong sina Dy, Marcos, CHED chairperson Dr. Shirley Agrupis, Senior Deputy Speaker Ferdinand Hernandez, at iba pang opisyal ng House at education sector. (Billy Begas)
