3 months ago
46
Upgrade to High-Speed Internet for only ₱1499/month!
Enjoy up to 100 Mbps fiber broadband, perfect for browsing, streaming, and gaming.
Visit Suniway.ph to learn
Bella Cariaso - The Philippine Star
January 6, 2026 | 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — Following the signing of the 2026 budget yesterday, Education Secretary Sonny Angara thanked President Marcos for allocating a record P1.35 trillion to the education sector, equivalent to 4.4 percent of the country’s gross domestic product.
“For the first time in Philippine history, the nation has allocated more than four percent of its GDP to education, to ensure that quality education is delivered to every Filipino learner,” Angara said.
He said the unprecedented funding allows the Department of Education and its attached agencies to roll out their biggest set of learner- and teacher-focused programs in recent years, including classroom construction, school-based feeding, textbooks, learner subsidies, laptops, additional teaching and non-teaching positions and continuous training for educators.
Under DepEd’s five-point reform agenda, Angara said the department secured P85.3 billion in 2026 to address the long-standing 165,000-classroom backlog.
Of this amount, P65 billion will fund the construction of 24,964 new classrooms, while P7.7 billion is allotted for the repair and rehabilitation of existing school buildings.
DepEd also received P19.5 billion for the production of textbooks and other learning materials.
To boost digital learning, P10.6 billion was allocated for the DepEd Computerization Program to ensure public schools nationwide have access to digital tools and reliable internet connectivity.
Another P4.6 billion was set aside for teacher training to equip educators with emerging and effective teaching methodologies.
For human resources, DepEd earmarked P42.4 billion for the hiring of 32,916 teaching items, 6,000 Principal I positions and 10,000 School Counselor Associate posts, with P29 billion of the total intended as a lump sum for filling teaching positions. Funding was also provided for 11,268 Administrative Officer II positions worth P2.2 billion and 5,000 Project Development Officer I posts amounting to P1 billion.
Congress likewise allocated P25.6 billion for the expanded school-based feeding program, expected to benefit 4.6 million learners nationwide.
The program targets all Kindergarten and Grade 1 pupils, as well as severely wasted and wasted learners in Grades 2 to 6, for up to 200 feeding days.
Welcoming the signing of the 2026 budget, Sen. Bam Aquino said the record P1.34-trillion education allocation would significantly strengthen programs aimed at improving learning conditions in public schools.
The budget includes P68 billion for new classrooms, P25.6 billion for school feeding and P67 billion for the implementation of Republic Act 10931, or the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act, which Aquino authored.
Complementing the education push, the Department of Information and Communications Technology said it will prioritize connecting all public schools to the internet in 2026.
DICT Secretary Henry Aguda said the initiative follows President Marcos’ directive to ensure universal school connectivity, with priority given to unserved and remote island schools.
While education received a historic boost, other sectors have called on the government to ensure timely and equitable implementation of the 2026 budget.
Rep. Raymond Adrian Salceda urged the immediate release of P6.77 billion in overdue benefits for health workers who served during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The funds, which have been pending for five years, are included under the Public Health Emergency Benefits and Allowances program in the 2026 budget. — Delon Porcalla, Neil Jayson Servallos, Rainier Allan Ronda
