Marcos vetoes National Polytechnic University bill

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has vetoed the bill seeking to designate the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) as the National Polytechnic University (NPU). A Palace official confirmed the veto on Friday.

The bill aimed to strengthen and empower PUP by amending its charter. President Marcos vetoed it because a directive issued in 2016 required an assessment of the institution, and as of now, that required assessment has not been complied with, according to Palace Press Officer Claire Castro. Castro stated that while the bill was vetoed, President Marcos remains firm and hopeful that PUP will eventually achieve national university status once all necessary requirements are fulfilled. The specific aspects of the assessment that were not met were not disclosed.

The proposed NPU bill sought to grant PUP greater institutional and financial autonomy to better accommodate its large and growing student population, which reached 93,000 enrollees in 2025. Had it become law, the NPU would have primarily focused on offering higher occupational, technical, and professional instruction and training in engineering, architecture, applied sciences, and other polytechnic disciplines. The bill also allowed the university to establish regular extension campuses, provided the land and infrastructure were already in place before the new campus officially began operating.