At least 168,000 students were denied admission to state universities and colleges (SUCs) due to capacity issues, with over half of the surveyed SUCs exceeding their enrollment limits.
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian urged SUCs to increase academic capacity and submit capital outlay requirements focused on classrooms, noting a decrease in funding from P31 billion in 2024 to P17 billion in 2025.
Meanwhile, the Catholic Association of the Philippines (CEAP) clarified that Catholic schools were not involved in the Senior High School Voucher Program’s ghost beneficiary scandal.
Education Secretary Sonny Angara revealed the voucher anomaly involves more than P100 million, but PEAC, which monitors voucher distribution, assures funds go to legitimate recipients.
CEAP also reported a significant drop in Catholic school enrollment from 4.3 million in 2019 to 1.4 million in 2022, attributing this to economic hardships pushing students toward free public education.
Source: PhilNews24 | October 4, 2025
