Manila: President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has vetoed the bill amending the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) charter to declare it as National Polytechnic University, Malaca±ang announced on Friday.

According to Philippines News Agency, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro confirmed in a press briefing that the President vetoed the proposed measure, which had not yet lapsed into law. The decision was made due to non-compliance with the assessment requirements set forth for the PUP.

Despite the veto, President Marcos remains optimistic about the future recognition of PUP as a national polytechnic university. Castro noted that a directive from 2016 required an assessment of the university, but compliance with this directive has not been met, leading to the President's decision to veto the bill.

The PUP, established in 1904, operates over 20 campuses across the Philippines, serving thousands of students. Its main campus is located in Sta. Mesa, Manila. Historically, PUP was among the state universities offering low tuition fees before the enactment of the free tertiary education law.

The proposed amendments to the PUP charter were designed to provide greater institutional and fiscal autonomy to better serve its expanding student body, which has reached 93,000 enrollees this year. Key provisions of the bill included strengthening PUP's governance, expanding degree offerings, and establishing the PUP Center for Artificial Intelligence, Computational Thinking, and Key Emerging Technologies.

These amendments aimed to position PUP as a leader in technological innovation, enhancing access to advanced education and research for Filipinos.