DepEd seeks P9.98B for ARAL program after zero budget allocation for 2027

The Department of Education (DepEd) is asking Congress for P9.98 billion to fund its Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) program in the proposed 2027 national budget, after the National Expenditure Program (NEP) allocated no funds for the initiative, Education Secretary Sonny Angara said Monday. During the agency’s budget hearing at the House of Representatives, Angara asked lawmakers to provide funding for the program as he defended DepEd’s proposed P975.96-billion budget for 2027, including allocations for its attached agencies. “Regarding the ARAL program, there is zero allotment for this under the 2027 budget, unlike this year when there was an allotment of around P9 billion for the different aspects of the ARAL,” Angara said. The request includes funding for ARAL tutors, learning recovery and remediation consultations, summer program tutors, external tutors, learning resources, tutor orientation and program management. Angara said P1.09 billion of the request would cover compensation for 15,800 ARAL tutors, while P3.5 billion in total is being sought for the remuneration of ARAL teachers and tutors. He said DepEd considers the program effective, citing results among the 6.7 million learners who participated in it. “Our program has achieved good results because among the 6.7 million learners who participated in the ARAL program, we found at the end of the school year that 4.5 million had been struggling readers, while 2.5 million improved to grade-level reading. So they are now reading at the right level,” he said. Bulacan 6th District Rep. Salvador Pleyto III, meanwhile, called for adequate funding for the program, particularly to ensure that teachers serving as ARAL tutors are properly compensated. “If we are asking them to provide additional tutoring beyond their regular responsibilities, we must ensure that they are properly and fairly compensated,” Pleyto said. Angara assured lawmakers that compensation for ARAL teachers and tutors was included in DepEd’s budget request. “The remuneration of ARAL teachers and tutors is included in our request, Your Honor. We are requesting a total of P3.5 billion for their remuneration. It is already included,” he said. Angara said the proposed P975.96-billion budget aims to further expand and strengthen programs, services and guidance for students, teachers and schools nationwide.— MCG, GMA News