PASAY CITY — The Senate Committee on Finance has given its green light to the proposed 2027 budget of the Department of Education (DepEd) and its attached agencies on Friday, October 16. The approval remains subject to further panel discussions and the submission of required documents.
Under the current General Appropriations Bill (GAB), the agency and its associated offices received an allocation of ₱969.79 billion, marking a ₱6.17-billion decrease from the initial proposal under the 2027 National Expenditure Program (NEP).
From this total, approximately ₱967.23 billion is designated directly for DepEd operations, while roughly ₱2.561 billion is distributed among its attached instrumentalities. These attached bodies include the National Museum of the Philippines, the National Academy of Sports, the National Council for Children’s Television, the National Book Development Board, the Teacher Education Council, and the Philippine High School for the Arts.
During the budget proceedings, DepEd officials pressed for an additional ₱147.93 billion to fund vital initiatives, prominently highlighting the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program, which received no separate funding in the NEP.
The department is seeking ₱15.63 billion to run the intervention program designed to close learning gaps.
Lawmakers voiced strong frustration over the omission. Senate President Win Gatchalian expressed astonishment at the lack of a distinct budget for an initiative with proven educational outcomes.
“It’s delivering what it intends to deliver, which is to teach our children how to read, how to count. But this year na-zero yung budget ng ARAL, which is shocking. Kung ano pa yung gumagawa, ‘yun pa yung nawala,” Gatchalian remarked.
Senate Deputy Majority Leader Joel Villanueva echoed similar sentiments, underscoring the pressing demand for structured remedial education among students.
“When I found out that it was zero, the first word that came out in my mind was ‘stupid.’ Stupid talaga. I really can’t comprehend bakit ginawa yon. Tapos ngayon dinagdagan ₱325 million you’re looking at ₱13 million needing remediation,” Villanueva stated.
In response, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) clarified that the program is not entirely unfunded, explaining that its allocation was integrated into a broader budget category rather than given an independent line item.
“We are knowledgeable about the ARAL Program… so ‘yung sa funding po wala siyang line program, sariling line item po… pero may pondo po siya under textbook and other instructional materials, so attribution po siya,” explained DBM Director Vivien Labastilla.
Despite the explanation, the Senate panel recommended establishing an independent line item for the ARAL Program to maintain clear transparency and prevent DepEd from pulling resources from other allocations.
Gatchalian pointed out that the program’s initial annual report showed strong results, helping roughly 1.37 million learners across Grades 1 to 10 move out of struggling categories, while about 730,000 more students achieved grade-level reading proficiency.