WITH the proposed budget cut for Cebu Normal University (CNU), some students have feared reduced admissions and stalled building projects, which could worsen campus infrastructure.
The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has proposed a budget cut of over P1.9 billion for CNU for the academic year (A.Y.) 2025. If approved, this could mean a delay for CNU’s priority infrastructure projects, including campus expansion and renovations, by at least another year.
The proposal, included in the 2025 National Expenditure Program (NEP), brings CNU’s budget to only P534,545,000 next year from its P2,520,787,000 budget this year.
SunStar Cebu secured a copy of the document on the NEP-DBM website on Thursday, July 29, 2024.
As of Sunday, Aug. 4, SunStar Cebu is still waiting for the CNU administration to shed light on the matter, including projects and programs that could be affected by the budget cut and if CNU officials will attempt to defend their prioritized projects on the budget.
NEP, an attached agency of DBM, formulates and implements the National Budget to support national socio-economic plans and objectives and ensures the efficient and sound utilization of government funds and revenues.
The NEP is merely the president’s recommended budget for the upcoming year, but it is not final until the House and Senate adopt it.
The authorized version by Congress will then reach the president’s desk and become the official budget for the next year.
Students worry
With the proposed budget cut for CNU, Paul Pocong, 25, a master’s degree pursuer at CNU, anticipates that there will be fewer incoming first years enrolled in CNU for the SY 2025-2026 “because the budget is limited.”
“There might be a slow progress in development. Improvements to the existing campuses and facilities may also be compromised,” he said.
Meanwhile, Jacob, not his real name, in a separate interview said: “I’ve been hearing about the budget cut since last year; honestly, at first, I thought it wouldn’t affect the students not until the full face-to-face classes. Hearsays were circulating among students that a lesser number of students will be accepted for admission for AY 2024-2025.”
“As a student, I am worried that this action would actually lead to a lesser admission and opportunities for the next generation of freshmen students,” he added.
Earlier this year, after CNU announced its qualifiers for A.Y. 2024-2025, it also announced on June 4, that the state university will not accept non-qualifiers for interviews or enrollment and will not entertain reconsideration requests. Instead, if a qualifying candidate withdraws, the next highest-ranked examinee will be contacted.
NEP’s proposed projects, budget
Only two infrastructure projects were included in the proposal: the repair and renovation of all CNU buildings with a budget of P10 billion, and the Child Minding Center with a budget of P2.5 billion.
CNU’s Capital Outlay (CO) received the largest cut in the proposed budget by P2,002,500,000; from a P2.04 billion budget in 2024, the proposed budget for CO in 2025 is only P37.5 million.
CO refers to appropriations for the purchase of goods and services, the benefits of which extend beyond the fiscal year and which add to the assets of the university.
CNU’s Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) did not escape, with a proposed allocation of P117,980,000 for 2025, from its P146,121,000 budget for 2024.
MOOE refers to the expenditures to support the operations of the research project or program, such as, but not limited to supplies and materials, transportation, travel, utilities, and repairs. / CDF