Additional P12 billion budget for SUCs backed by CongressStudents return to their respective schools as in-person classes in Marikina City resume on March 9, 2023. As vice chair of the House committee on appropriations, Leviste led the pre-plenary budget hearing for SUCs, where officials urged Congress to fund the implementation of the Free Higher Education Act in the 2026 budget. House appropriations chairperson Mika Suansing confirmed that the P12.3-billion budget deficit for SUCs will be addressed in the 2026 budget, which includes P7.82 billion from the Higher Education Development Fund of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and an additional P4.49 billion to be approved by Congress. RealignmentBuilding on the momentum in Congress, senators are also exploring ways to augment higher education funding by tapping unused infrastructure allocations. Sen. Francis Pangilinan, meanwhile, underscored the urgency of boosting higher education spending to address gaps in access across the country.