Manila: Thousands of students enrolled in flexible and distance learning programs are expected to benefit from the newly completed four-story building of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) Open University System in Sta. Mesa, Manila. Officials from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), led by Acting Secretary Kim Robert de Leon, inspected the facility on Wednesday to assess project implementation and ensure that government funds are translating into concrete public services.
According to Philippines News Agency, the PHP185-million new facility is designed to serve as a modern learning hub for the university's open and distance education programs, expanding access to affordable and flexible higher education for Filipinos who cannot attend traditional classroom-based courses, the DBM said. 'Through every completed project and every classroom built, we prove that the budget is not merely numbers on paper but concrete service, real opportunity, and a better future for our people, especially our students,' de Leon said. He described the facility as an example of how government resources can be transformed into opportunities that directly improve lives.
'At the DBM, we believe citizens should see and feel where their taxes go. This building proves that when the budget is properly planned and implemented, it becomes a real investment in the future of our people,' he added. According to the DBM, the facility will strengthen PUP's capacity to offer degree and non-degree programs to working professionals, teachers, out-of-school youth, and learners facing financial, geographical, or time constraints.
The university's Open University System has long served as an alternative pathway for Filipinos seeking higher education through flexible and distance learning arrangements. De Leon emphasized that expanding access to education remains among the government's key investments for nation-building. 'Students must be at the center. Citizens must be at the center. The country must benefit. The Marcos administration believes that quality education is not an expense-it is an investment in the future of our nation,' he said.
