Senators and House Representatives approved a nearly ₱1-trillion allocation for the Department of Education (DepEd) during Saturday’s bicameral conference committee meeting on the ₱6.793 trillion 2026 national budget.
House Committee on Appropriations chairperson Mikaela Suansing said, “Under the Department of Education, the total increase would be P86.8 billion from the NEP (National Expenditure Program) level… from ₱874.5 billion in NEP, the final number [would be] ₱961.3 billion.”
The additional funds will support key programs:
- Basic education facilities – ₱57.3 billion increase for the construction of 35,000 classrooms in 2026.
- Textbooks and instructional materials – ₱8.3 billion increase from ₱11.1 billion to ₱19.5 billion to address shortages.
- School-based feeding program – Budget rises to ₱13.9 billion from ₱11.7 billion, extending meals from 120 days to 180 days.
The funding boost aims to strengthen education infrastructure, learning resources, and student nutrition nationwide.