The problem facing state universities and colleges (SUCs) is not a lack of funding but how government resources are prioritized and used, Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano said on Thursday.
Speaking during the Cebu Technological University (CTU) Student Government’s Miting de Avance and Dialogue on April 16, 2026, Cayetano responded to a student’s question on infrastructure gaps, particularly in digital systems and classroom expansion.
The senator stressed that the government has sufficient funds but inefficiencies arise from how these are allocated.
“6.8 trillion is not a small budget,” he said, referring to the 2026 national budget. “The question is, are we using it wisely?”
Cayetano explained that public discourse often focuses on cutting budgets when controversies arise, such as in flood control spending, instead of addressing deeper issues.
“The problem is not the funds, the problem is corruption… When I was a young congressman, the budget of DPWH was P50 billion. Last year, the budget of DPWH was P1.1 trillion,” he said.
He also emphasized the importance of public awareness, particularly among the youth, in understanding how government budgets are used, saying this could help ensure better accountability.
To illustrate, Cayetano cited the experience of his home city of Taguig where spending priorities were shifted toward education, particularly scholarships. This, he said, contributed to the city’s fiscal growth and expanded social programs.
The senator emphasized that improving outcomes in education and other sectors would depend not only on increasing budgets but on setting the right priorities, curbing corruption, and empowering citizens to be more informed.
“How do we change? Well, one, the way we changed in Taguig, we informed everyone. Tamang priorities, pagtutulungan ng mga tao, tanggalin ang corruption, but empowered pa rin y’ung mga tao,” he said. ###