35 state universities, colleges get fresh funds

CEBU – House Assistant Majority Leader and Cebu Rep. Gerald Anthony Gullas Jr. said 35 state universities and college damaged by super typhoon Yolanda, the Bohol earthquake, the Zamboanga City siege, and other disasters were able to obtain new funds to help them rebuild facilities.

He said the fresh funds were facilitated in a big way by Pasig City Rep. Roman Romulo, chairman of the House committee on higher and technical education.

Gulas, also the vice chairman of the House committee on higher and technical education, likewise praised the Commission on Higher Education Chairperson Patricia Licuanan for making the fund releases possible.

He said so as to promote absolute transparency and public accountability, he released the list of the 35 SUCs, to include the sums that each obtained:

· Eastern Samar State University (P217.70 million);

· Eastern Visayas State University (P125.04 million);

· Visayas State University (P113.80 million);

· Bohol Island State University (P112.73 million);

· Northern Iloilo Polytechnic State College (P94.06 million);

· Capiz State University (P76.90 million);

· Zamboanga State College of Marine Science & Technology (P27.15 million);

· University of the Philippines-Palo, Leyte (P26.62 million);

· Romblon State University (P23.69 million);

· Palompon Institute of Technology (P21.83 million);

· Antique University (P20.03 million);

· Aklan State University (P18.44 million);

· Iloilo State College of Fisheries (P16.72 million);

· Cebu Technological University-Daanbantayan (P13.89 million);

· University of the Philippines-Tacloban (P13.04 million);

· Naval State University (P12.12 million);

· Zamboanga City State Polytechnic College (P9.69 million);

· Southern Leyte State University (P6.65 million);

· Oriental Mindoro State University (P6.26 million);

· Western Visayas College for Science & Technology (P5.17 million);

· University of Eastern Philippines (P4.71 million);

· Batanes State College (P3.43 million);                                           

· Agusan del Sur State College of Agriculture & Technology (P3.18 million);

· Surigao del Sur State University (P3.13 million);

· Western Philippines University (P2.10 million);

· Occidental Mindoro State University (P1.56 million);

· Guimaras State College (P1.52 million);

· Misamis Oriental College of Agriculture & Technology (P1.38 million);

· Samar State University (P1.23 million);

· Cebu Normal University-Main Campus (P939,000);

· Technological University of the Philippines (P773,000);

· Cebu Technological University-Main Campus (P502,000);

· Cebu Normal University-Medellin (P298,000);

· Palawan State University (P241,000); and

· Northwest Samar State University (P233,000).

Gullas said the Aquino government previously authorized the Department of Budget and Management to release a total of P987.25 million to enable the 35 SUCs to rebuild calamity-wrecked structures and other physical assets, based on actual impairment verified by CHED and the Department of Public Works and Highways. He said the funds is chargeable against Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Program Fund under the 2014 General Appropriations.

Typhoon Yolanda tore through Eastern Visayas and parts of Central and Western Visayas on Nov. 8, 2013, killing over 6,000 people. The 7.2-magnitude tremor that shook Bohol and neighboring provinces on Oct. 15, 2013 left 209 people dead. The September 9 to 28, 2013 Zamboanga siege took the life of 140 people.