By MARS KAYAT
Northern Dispatch
Posted by Bulatlat.com

BAGUIO CITY— Ifugao Rep. Teddy Baguilat Jr. has joined other legislators in challenging the Aquino administration to restore cuts on education budget, particularly on state universities and colleges.

As a member of the committee on appropriations, Baguilat stressed that there is a need to review details of the proposed budget to see if allocations for less urgent programs can be channelled to education.

The proposed allocation for SUCs in the 2011 budget has been reduced by 1.7 percent, from P23.8 billion in 2010 to P 23.4 billion this year.

Baguilat also expressed a dilemma on the approval of the said proposed budget for the 2011 national outlay because President Benigno S. Aquino III “really wants to have a good fiscal management policy instituted for next year” and Aquino is also asking the committee to give “him the benefit of the doubt.”

Still, Baguilat said that they will push for the channeling of budget from unneccessary programs to education. He hopes that the budget cut on education will not be a trend and it will only be for this year because of the budget deficit.

“To tell you the truth, part of me wants to support this administration (and) wants to believe that maybe there’s wisdom in the President to bring down the budget deficit next year. I had hoped that if there would be decrease in budget, it would not be at the expense of the education sector. ” he said. (Northern Dispatch/Posted by Bulatlat.com)

 Save as PDF