CHED Chairperson J. Prospero De Vera III (left) thanks Pres. Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. for approving the 2025 GAA and for prioritizing the development of education sector during a press conference held at the CHED NIR Office in Dumaguete City on Jan. 10, 2025 (KAT/PIA7-Negros Oriental)
DUMAGUETE CITY, Negros Oriental (PIA) – The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) aims to utilize its P2 billion additional funds under the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA) to expand its scholarship coverage.
CHED chairperson J. Prospero De Vera III thanked Pres. Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. for approving the 2025 GAA where the agency received P2.2 billion augmentation funds.
“We got an additional augmentation I think of about P2.2 billion. Ang idinagdag na budget sa amin ay basically for scholarships. As you know, dumadami ‘yung tinutulungan ng CHED through Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES) and Tunong Dunong. Every time na lumalaki yung number kailangan lalaki ‘yung budget because continuing yan,” De Vera said.
(We got an additional augmentation I think about P2.2 billion. The additional funds in our budget is basically for scholarships. As you know, as the number of beneficiaries of CHED’s Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES) and Tunong Dunong programs increase, we should also increase the budget because those programs are continuing.)
TES recipients enrolled in State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) are eligible for P20,000 assistance to defray school fees and other school-related expenses.
Recipients in private schools will be given P27,000 per academic year for tuition and other school-related expenses.
The Tunong Dunong Program is an education subsidy program for grantees enrolled in CHED-recognized programs of private higher education institutions (HEIs), SUCs, or CHED-recognized local universities and colleges (LUCs) with certificates of program compliance (COPC).
The student-grantee will be given a maximum of P15,000 grant for one academic year.
CHED received an appropriation of P33.3 trillion budget for this year based on the 2025 GAA for their programs and operations.
This is consistent with the current administration’s thrust to prioritize the development education sector this year through increased funding.
The sector received the lion’s share of the GAA with an allocation of P1.06 trillion.
De Vera said this is a testament of the government’s commitment to support the country’s higher education.
Meanwhile, De Vera led the inauguration of the CHED Negros Island Region Office located inside the Negros Oriental State University.
The CHED chairperson said the establishment of the NIR office is in compliance of the NIR Law which will bring the agency’s services like scholarships to the people especially to the students of Negros Oriental and Siquijor. (RAL/PIA7-Negros Oriental)
