DepEd receives P26.5B budget increase from House

The Department of Education (DepEd) expressed gratitude to the House of Representatives for approving an additional P26.517 billion to its proposed 2026 budget.

The bulk of the increase, P22.5 billion, will fund the construction and rehabilitation of classrooms and the procurement of school furniture.

Other allocations include P1.88 billion for the school-based feeding program, P306 million for the alternative learning system and flexible learning program, P193 million for the special needs education program, P79.6 million for the indigenous peoples education program, and P26.25 million for the Madrasah education program.

An additional P579.5 million is allocated for the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning program to cover overload pay for public school teachers, and P984 million for the compensation of non-DepEd tutors.

The Philippines is meeting the UNESCO benchmark of allocating 4% of its Gross Domestic Product to education spending for the first time.

Education Secretary Sonny Angara emphasized the importance of timely implementation to address delayed projects and benefit students and teachers.