DepEd seeks more funds as ARAL gets zero in proposed 2027 budget

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Education (DepEd) is strongly seeking additional funds as the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program is set to receive zero allocation in the proposed 2027 National Expenditure Program (NEP). Education Secretary Sonny Angara conveyed to the House appropriations committee that the funding for this crucial program aimed at addressing the learning crisis is at risk. "There’s a zero allotment for this under the 2027 budget," Angara told the House appropriations committee on Monday, September 7, when asked regarding the proposed allocation for the national learning intervention program next year. The ARAL Program, institutionalized through Republic Act No. 12028 in October 2024, aims to support public school students who struggle in reading, mathematics, and science. Despite the zero allocation in the 2027 NEP, the DepEd presented its “wishlist” to lawmakers on Monday. Part of the department’s request is P15.98 billion to carry out the ARAL Program in 2027. In the 2026 national budget, the program was allocated P8.9 billion. "The program has good results because out of the 6.67 million students that entered the ARAL Program, we saw at the end of the [previous] school year (2025-2026) that there were 4.5 million fewer struggling readers, with 2.5 million students improving to grade-level reading," Angara said in a mix of English and Filipino. So far, the DepEd has only rolled out learning interventions for reading, according to Angara. He hopes they can include sessions for mathematics and science. Ruby Bernardo, Alliance of Concerned Teachers national chairperson, expressed dismay over the possible zero budget for the ARAL Program. She also stressed that remediation and learning recovery efforts must already be removed from teachers’ load. "Kung mananatili ‘yan sa teachers natin, malaki ang epekto niya sa learning recovery ng mga bata. Kung walang pondo, wala ring maha-hire na external tutors," Bernardo said in a chance interview. (If the task would remain with the teachers, it would have a huge effect on the learning recovery of children. If there’s no funding, there would be no hiring of external tutors.) Angara sought intervention from lawmakers as RA 12028 is specific that teachers are only entitled to overload pay if they exceed six hours of teaching. This is amid the unresolved issue of whether teachers should be compensated for handling ARAL tutor work regardless of teaching load. Angara said that for now, the DepEd is studying the possibility of giving food allowance in cash, if allowed by the Commission on Audit. The agency is also eyeing to include in the six-hour teaching load some teacher-related tasks, such as the time spent on peer-mentoring sessions or advising students. In a message to Rappler, Karol Mark Yee, executive director of the Second Congressional Commission on Education, said he hopes that Congress will fund the ARAL Program as it is an “urgent need,” given that there are millions of struggling readers. But Yee also noted that there must be a thorough review of the DepEd’s utilization of the nearly P9-billion ARAL Program funding this year. Other budget requests In the 2027 NEP, the DepEd, including its attached agencies, may get P976 billion. However, the education department received P1 trillion in the 2026 budget. DepEd asks for P976-billion budget for 2027 In total, the DepEd requested from the House appropriations committee P145.19 billion in additional funds, while its attached agencies are seeking P1.74 billion more. The additional funds being sought include P33.53 billion for new personnel. According to Angara, the proposed 2027 budget does not have an allocation for the hiring of new teachers. Angara also lamented the proposed P11-billion budget for the school-based feeding program, a significant decrease from the P25.7 billion in the 2026 budget. He explained that the feeding cycle might have to be shortened from 180 days to 120 days, and the lower budget would prevent the DepEd from offering universal feeding to all Grade 1 pupils. Measures to address school violence, such as strengthening school safety and expanding access to mental health services, are also covered by the budget requests. When asked how the budget cuts could affect the DepEd’s reforms, Angara told reporters after the seven-hour budget hearing, “It would slow it down a little bit, but we are hoping for a restoration of some of the items.” Here’s the full list of the budget requests of the DepEd and its attached agencies: – Rappler.com