6 Cordillera state universities face massive budget cuts
BAGUIO CITY—A national student organization has denounced the massive budget cuts imposed on six of the seven state universities in the Cordillera, three of which rank among the hardest-hit higher education institutions nationwide.
The most severe reduction under the 2026 National Expenditure Program (NEP) will strike Mountain Province State University or MPSU (formerly Mountain Province Polytechnic College) in Bontoc, Mountain Province, which stands to lose P961.6 million—or 66 percent of its current allocation.
“Making this Bontoc campus the country’s state university with the second biggest budgetary reduction,” said Eugene Enciso, Cordillera spokesperson for the National Union of Students in the Philippines (NUSP), on Thursday.
He added: “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are no longer urgent problems with student facilities, when in reality students still face overcrowded classrooms, outdated laboratories and scarce digital infrastructure.”
Enciso noted that MPSU’s capital outlay alone would be reduced by P994 million—or a staggering 99 percent.
Congress deliberation
Only last August, MPSU held a Thanksgiving Mass and a program, which showcased traditional Cordillera dance, to celebrate the first year anniversary of the institution’s conversion from a state college to a state university.
Enciso said the NUSP has forwarded its concerns to the Kabataan Party list as Congress deliberates next year’s budget amid controversies over early insertions linked to public works corruption since 2022.
University of Abra, located in the town of Lagangilang, ranks fifth among state schools facing reduced allocations, with its 2026 budget cut by P336.2 million (48 percent). Its capital outlay will also drop by P377 million, a 98-percent slash.
Apayao State College, based in the town of Luna, places 10th nationwide among SUCs with reduced budgets, facing a 21-percent cut worth P86.7 million. Its capital outlay will be “gutted by P125 (million) or an 87-percent reduction,” Enciso said.
Kalinga State University, located in the provincial capital City of Tabuk, follows with an P85 million (15 percent) budget cut and a capital outlay reduction of P132.6 million (94 percent).
Enciso said Benguet State University (BSU), which has its main campus in the provincial capital town of La Trinidad, “the highland’s largest SUC, has a net increase overall” under the 2026 NEP.
However, BSU “still suffers a 46-percent slash in its capital outlay amounting to P24.5 million,” he noted.
NUSP also warned that University of the Philippines Baguio could be affected if Congress approves the proposed allocation for the UP system, which is “projected to face a P21-billion budget deficit.”
“These cuts are even more revolting given today’s climate of corruption. Billions (of pesos) continue to be siphoned into anomalous infrastructure projects and confidential funds while schools are deliberately starved of resources,” the NUSP said.
