25/09/2026
๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฆ๐จ ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ด๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ฑ๐๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป
Quezon City - September 24, 2026 - University President Prof. Diosdado P. Zulueta joined fellow presidents of State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) nationwide during the Affirmation and Compliance with the 2026 GAA on Free Higher Education Deficiency at the House of Representatives.
CHED Chairperson Dr. Shirley C. Agrupis opened the program with an overview and message on the governmentโs efforts to address funding deficiencies under the Free Higher Education program. This was followed by the symbolic turnover of FHE funding for SUCs from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, reprsented by the University of the Philippines System, Eastern Visayas State University, and the University of Southeastern Philippines.
The turnover was witnessed and led by key government and higher education officials, including House Speaker Faustino โBojieโ G. Dy III, House Majority Leader Ferdinand Alexander โSandroโ A. Marcos III, Senior Deputy Speaker Ferdinand โDinandโ L. Hernandez, House Committee on Appropriations Chairperson Mikaela Angela โMikaโ B. Suansing, CHED Chairperson, PASUC President Dr. Tirso A. Ronquillo, and UP President Atty. Angelo A. Jimenez.
The program also featured words of support and encouragement from Chairperson Suansing, followed by closing remarks from Dr. Ronquillo, highlighting the continued cooperation among Congress, CHED, and SUCs in sustaining Free Higher Education.
As part of the funding commitment, MarSU is set to receive funding for 2026 Free Higher Education deficiency. The funding will help the University recover costs previously absorbed in providing free tuition and other school fees to students and support the continued implementation of Free Higher Education.
The initiative covered โฑ9.753 billion in validated FHE funding deficiencies involving 108 SUCs for Academic Years 2022โ2023 to 2024โ2025. Of the total, โฑ6.42 billion had already been disbursed, while the remaining funding was undergoing processing.