No fund for dev't of smart campuses in proposed 2021 budget —CHED chief De Vera

The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) on Monday said the P3 billion earmarked for the development of smart campuses in the Philippines under the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act will be utilized before the year ends, however, there is no appropriation to continue this program in the proposed 2021 budget.

During the hearing of CHED's proposed P50 billion fund for the next fiscal year, its chairperson Prospero De Vera said the allocation under Bayanihan 2 would only be enough to establish the foundation for smart campuses.

"It cannot produce smart campuses, it will just establish the foundation... What the Commission can commit is in the next two to three months, we will be able to design a system on what constitutes the foundations for a smart campus and start opening it for SUCs (state universities and colleges) to apply," De Vera told senators.

"The problem is that there is no allocation for smart campuses in the 2021 NEP. So what we can commit is just the foundation. Beyond that, there are no appropriations to continue beefing up from the foundation," he added.

Senate committee on higher education chairperson Joel Villanueva said the P3 billion was allocated under the Bayanihan 2 to help colleges and universities adapt to flexible learning amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Acknowledging the concerns raised by De Vera, the senator requested CHED to submit its policy recommendations regarding the program.

De Vera also said the budget provided under the Bayanihan 2 will not be equally distributed because SUCs are differently situated, as far as connectivity is concerned.

Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges president Dr. Tirso Ronquillo said he hopes for an "equitable" distribution of funds to 112 SUCs across the country catering to 1.3 million students.—AOL, GMA News