MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said the education sector will receive an unprecedented P1.28 trillion under the House-approved Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 national budget.
The allocation, according to the DBM, officially breaches the 4% share of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for the first time in the Philippines.
Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said the allocation reflects the government’s firm commitment to invest in education as a cornerstone of national development.
“Ipinapakita lang po ng 4% level na ito kung gaano ka-seryoso ang ating pamahalaan sa pag-invest sa education system ng bansa. We have never stopped prioritizing our teachers, students, classrooms, and skills training,” Pangandaman said.
The education budget, one of the largest in Philippine history, rose from the P1.224 trillion originally proposed under the National Expenditure Program (NEP). After budget deliberations, the House of Representatives realigned an additional P56.6 billion, bringing the total to P1.28 trillion, equivalent to 4.1% of GDP.
“This milestone aligns the Philippines with the UNESCO-recommended standard for education financing between 4 to 6% of GDP or 15 to 20% of total public spending,” Pangandaman added.
DBM said the allocation covers the entire education sector, including the Department of Education (DepEd), State Universities and Colleges (SUCs), the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).
“Ibig sabihin po, we are on the same level as many developed countries when it comes to investing in education. If the economy is the body, education is the heart. Patuloy nating sisiguraduhin na malusog at tumitibok nang maayos ang puso ng ating bansa,” Pangandaman said.
To strengthen education’s infrastructure support, P35.1 billion of the additional P56.6 billion was sourced from adjustments within the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), particularly from flood control projects, to reinforce the Basic Education Facilities Fund (BEF).
The total education sector budget now stands at P1.38 trillion, representing 12% of the national budget and 4.5% of GDP, which is the highest level in the Philippine history.
Of this amount, the Department of Education (DepEd) receives P992.7 billion, reflecting an 8.6% increase or an additional P78.5 billion. A large portion will address long-standing gaps in basic education, including the classroom backlog. DepEd is allocating P68 billion for classroom construction, targeting the building of 19,000 to 27,000 new classrooms nationwide.
Major student support programs are also receiving significant boosts. The School-Based Feeding Program doubles from P13 billion to P28.66 billion, enabling operations across 200 school days and benefiting an estimated 4.8 million learners. Meanwhile, the budget for textbooks rises sharply from P11 billion to P29 billion to address shortages in learning materials.
To support learning recovery, the ARAL Program funding, which provides tutoring in Math and Reading, will increase from P5.623 billion to P8.93 billion, supporting 440,000 tutors and benefitting 6.7 million learners.
For higher education, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) receives P48.2 billion, an 11% increase from last year’s P43.6 billion. This includes P6.6 billion for the Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES), which will support 490,000 incoming college students from 4Ps households. Beneficiaries will receive P20,000 if enrolled in public higher education institutions, and P27,000 if enrolled in private HEIs in areas without nearby public colleges and universities.
Meanwhile, TESDA’s budget rises from P23.5 billion to P25.3 billion, with an additional P5.1 billion allocated to the Training for Work Scholarship Program (TWSP), aimed at training 190,000 Filipinos in priority skills.
State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) will also see their funding increase from P131.7 billion to P140.3 billion, strengthening campus facilities, academic programs, and research capabilities across the country.