Senate President Win Gatchalian expressed expectation Saturday that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will outline progress on the utilization of the country’s historic education budget during his fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday.
Gatchalian emphasized that the record-breaking ₱1.38-trillion budget allocated to the education sector for 2026 must translate into tangible results, specifically in addressing severe classroom shortages, learning deficits, and funding gaps.
“Naglaan tayo ng makasaysayang pondo para sa edukasyon upang masugpo natin ang malawakang krisis na hinaharap ng sektor na ito,” Gatchalian said.
“Inaasahan nating sa darating na SONA, malinaw na maiuulat sa atin kung ano na ang narating natin at ano pa ang ating aasahan para tugunan ang krisis sa edukasyon,” he added.
Representing roughly 4.4% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP), the 2026 national budget for the education sector marks the highest allocation in Philippine history and aligns with the global benchmark of spending between 4% and 6% of GDP on education.
Key components of this year’s allocation include ₱67.9 billion dedicated to the school infrastructure program to help resolve the nation’s estimated shortage of 165,000 classrooms, which has forced many schools to resort to shifting schedules.
Additionally, the budget allocates funding to cover a ₱12.3-billion shortfall accumulated by the Free Higher Education Program from 2022 to 2025.
President Marcos is set to address a joint session of Congress on July 27 for his fifth SONA, which he previously noted would center on government strategies to navigate global economic and geopolitical shifts.