Realign P134.5 billlion from flood control to education – DepEd

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September 18, 2025 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines —  On top of the Department of Education’s proposed P928.52-billion allocation for 2026, DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara has urged Congress to realign the flood control budget and approve an additional P134.5 billion for education.

Speaking before a Senate hearing, Angara detailed DepEd’s “wish list” of funding priorities aimed at addressing gaps in infrastructure, technology and academic recovery.

“(For) infrastructure, we’re asking for (additional) P48 billion; computerization, P20 billion; feeding, another additional P17 billion; salaries and benefits, P15 billion. Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) program, P10 billion. These are the big-ticket items, comprising P134 billion,” he told lawmakers.

Angara said the additional request also covers disaster response, the General Academic Strand, health programs, school sports, inclusive education, internet connectivity and other small-scale needs.

In support of DepEd’s request, Senate finance committee chairman Sherwin Gatchalian said reviewing the Department of Public Works and Highways’s P270-billion flood control budget will be a top priority in the 2026 budget deliberations.