As part of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos, Jr.’s push to improve the Philippine education system, Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Amenah “Mina” F. Pangandaman has approved the issuance of National Budget Circular (NBC) No. 598, which provides the guidelines and policies for the implementation of the second phase of the Revised Organization and Staffing Standards (OSS) for State Universities and Colleges (SUCs).
“Sa bisa ng National Budget Circular No. 598, mas pinapatatag natin ang pamantayan sa pagkuha ng mga kawani sa ating mga SUCs. Sinusunod po natin ang direktiba ni Pangulong Bongbong Marcos na siguruhing may sapat at naayong workforce para sa research and development, at suporta sa ating mga estudyante,” said Secretary Mina.
Issued on 15 July 2025, NBC No. 598 seeks to improve the performance and reach of public higher education institutions to make government services more responsive and inclusive.
This second phase builds on the groundwork established by NBC No. 589 in 2022, which reorganized the administrative and leadership offices of SUCs. Phase II now strengthens the institutional capacity of SUCs in research, extension, and auxiliary services, recognizing their increasingly important role in national development, innovation, and community engagement.
“Our SUCs are not just centers of learning. They are engines of progress. Sa ikalawang bahagi ng ating circular, binibigyan natin sila ng kakayahang maging mas epektibo sa research, sa pagtulong sa mga komunidad, at pagbibigay ng konkretong solusyon sa hamon ng lipunan,” the DBM Secretary explained.
The second phase also includes specific guidelines on prescribed offices or units for technology transfer, patent support, publication units, and staffing support for research and development and extension programs for the SUC campuses established by law.
The OSS, developed in collaboration with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges (PASUC), ensures that SUCs are aligned with modern education policies such as the Higher Education Act of 1994, Higher Education Modernization Act of 1997, and CHED Memorandum Orders on Research, Internationalization, and Land Use Development.
The funding for the implementation of the Circular will be sourced from the existing Personnel Services (PS) allotment of the SUCs under the General Appropriations Act (GAA), and may be augmented by the FY 2025 Miscellaneous Personnel Benefits Fund, if necessary. ###
