DepEd seeks record P928 billion budget, biggest jump in a decade

MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives' appropriations committee began deliberations on Wednesday, September 3, on the Department of Education's proposed P928.52-billion budget for 2026 — the largest in the department's history.

DepEd's proposed spending plan for next year is also one of the biggest jumps it has proposed in recent years — at least 18% higher than its current budget for this year (P782 billion), Education Secretary Sonny Angara said in his first remarks before lawmakers on Wednesday, September 3.

"This is the most significant increase in recent years in absolute terms. But in percentage terms, one of the largest in the last decade," Angara said.

Breakdown of the budget. If granted, DepEd says it vows to use the funds to hire over 65,000 new staff, double teacher allowances to P10,000 monthly, distribute over 200,000 laptops to teachers and deploy 10,000 school counselor associates to schools teeming with students struggling with mental health issues, based on its spending plan presented Wednesday.

Another P11.2 billion would fund textbooks and instructional materials, while P16.4 billion supports computerization programs covering laptops, smart TVs, e-learning carts and school-wide internet access.

Under DepEd's proposed budget, its school feeding programs would also receive P11.8 billion, which it says will benefit 3 million students. The request also allocates P41.11 billion for government assistance and subsidy programs and P28.1 billion for basic education facilities, including classroom construction, repairs, electrification and library hubs. 

"This 928.52 billion pesos is the highest ever budget for the Department of Education in history," House appropriations panel chairperson Rep. Mikaela Suansing (Nueva Ecija, 1st District).

"This proposed budget represents a vital opportunity to address persistent challenges and advance long-overdue reforms in the education sector by directing substantial resources to where they matter most," the lawmaker said.

Current problems. The large budget request comes as DepEd juggles several sweeping reforms and promised fixes to long-standing problem areas: among others, implementing the new decongested Matatag curriculum for Kinder to Grade 10, expanding its national feeding program, fast-tracking classroom construction and improving the pay and promotion system for teachers to prevent an exodus of educators.

As of August, DepEd has obligated 54% of its current budget for the year, Angara reported.

He acknowledged the department's implementation challenges and the pace of its spending, noting that DepEd is the biggest bureaucracy in government, operating nearly 3,000 implementing units across schools, divisions and regions that handle their own procurement. "It is always a challenge to maintain efficiency and order across the various implementing units," the DepEd secretary said.

With DepEd's massive funding request, Suansing reminded the department and the packed room of lawmakers that the country continues to face serious education woes, including a learning crisis where millions of students still fall short of basic literacy standards, based on the findings of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2).   

EDCOM 2's latest analysis of data from the government's literacy assessment for grade 1 to 3 students in school year 2025-2026 showed that at least one in three learners is considered a "low emerging reader," where the child can only decode three out of 10 simple words. 

It also found "most students" to be "two to three years behind curriculum expectations in Grade 3."

Additionally, "textbooks and learning resources are still lacking, with only 35 out of the required 94 titles delivered as of January 2025, and classroom construction continues to face delays and inefficiencies," Suansing said, citing EDCOM 2 findings.

"These challenges underscore the urgency for well-targeted investments and efficient implementation," Suansing said.

"Let us work to ensure that these allocations are not only substantial in size, but also effective in impact," the House appropriations panel chairperson said.

The DepEd budget is part of the Marcos administration's overall P1.224-trillion proposed budget for basic and higher education. DepEd yesterday touted this as being equivalent to 4% of the country's GDP, allowing the Philippines to align for the first time with UNESCO's recommended spending level for education.

Angara took office as DepEd chief in July 2024 following the resignation of Vice President Sara Duterte, who served in the position for two years.