Manila: The bicameral conference committee on the proposed 2026 national budget has approved the transfer of the Tulong Dunong student assistance program to the Commission on Higher Education (CHED). This move aims to centralize the administration of the fund for state universities and colleges (SUCs).

According to Philippines News Agency, the decision was made to reconcile differences between House Bill No. 4058 and the Senate version of the General Appropriations Act. Lawmakers believe that centralizing the program under CHED will streamline the implementation process, ensuring faster and more accessible assistance to students in need.

Senator Loren Legarda highlighted that centralization would provide greater flexibility, provided there is fiscal space available. Senator Erwin Tulfo emphasized that the change would prevent delays associated with individual fund requests from SUCs to CHED, which could result in assistance arriving after classes have ended.

House Appropriations Committee Chairperson Rep. Mikaela Angela Suansing expressed openness to both decentralized and centralized approaches but acknowledged that centralizing Tulong Dunong under CHED was more practical for the 2026 budget cycle, considering the limited time and need for reliable estimates per SUC.

Senate Committee on Finance Chairperson Sherwin Gatchalian confirmed the consensus reached in the committee, stating that there was agreement to centralize the program.

The Tulong Dunong program provides eligible students from families with a combined gross income of less than PHP400,000 with PHP7,500 per semester, totaling PHP15,000 per academic year. The bicameral committee approved a total budget of PHP138.087 billion for state universities and colleges, marking an increase of PHP9.248 billion from the National Expenditure Program (NEP).