DepEd Budget Lacking to Catch Up with Southeast Asia, Says Angara

Education Secretary Sonny Angara on Monday acknowledged that the proposed 2027 budget for the Department of Education (DepEd) may be "somewhat lacking" if the Philippines aims to catch up with other Southeast Asian countries in terms of education quality. However, he stressed that the agency would focus on its priorities within the available funds. "It's difficult, but we still try our best," Angara said in an ambush interview after a House Committee on Appropriations hearing. He identified teacher welfare and training, as well as foundational learning, as key priorities. "The basics for us and the President are to make sure all kids know how to read at a very young age, so foundational learning," he explained. Angara also acknowledged that funding gaps for some programs could slow down their implementation. DepEd is seeking an additional ₱145.19 billion for programs and interventions not accommodated in the 2027 National Expenditure Program (NEP). This additional funding would address gaps in learning recovery, personnel hiring, and school safety, among other priority programs. The House committee is considering pushing for the restoration of these items. Notably, the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program, which reportedly showed positive results in School Year 2025-2026, received no funding in the 2027 NEP. DepEd is seeking ₱15.98 billion for ARAL, covering honoraria for teaching overload, tutor training, external tutors, learning resources, the ARAL Summer Program, learning recovery and remediation consultations, and program management. Regarding DepEd’s voucher programs, Angara clarified that flexibility in fund usage is more about efficient allocation than transparency. "So it’s still the same items, but kasi pag hindi nagamit dito, at least pwede mong ilipat sa ibang budget, hindi magagamit yung pondo," he said, explaining that without a special provision allowing such movement, unused funds under a particular line item could not simply be transferred elsewhere. He also stated DepEd is willing to provide lists of beneficiaries. DepEd's proposed budget for fiscal year 2027 stands at ₱975.96 billion, including allocations for its attached agencies. Under the proposed NEP, Personnel Services would increase by 8.64% to ₱766.74 billion, while Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) would decrease by 15.94% to ₱174.32 billion, and Capital Outlay would decline by 67.49% to ₱32.34 billion. The budget also includes ₱12.09 billion for the promotion of over 135,000 teachers and school heads, ₱17.31 billion for more than 4,900 new classrooms, and ₱7.33 billion for repairs of 11,100 classrooms. Source: GMA News Philippines