The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) confirmed that the education sector will receive an unprecedented ?1.28 trillion under the House-approved Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 national budget, officially breaching the 4-percent share of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for the first time in the Philippines.
According to Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman, the landmark allocation reflects the government’s firm commitment to invest in education as a cornerstone of national development.
‘Ipinapakita lang po ng 4% level na ito kung gaano ka-seryoso ang ating pamahalaan sa pag-invest sa education system ng bansa. We have never stopped prioritizing our teachers, students, classrooms, and skills training,’ Pangandaman said.
The education budget, one of the largest in Philippine history, rose from the ?1.224 trillion originally proposed under the National Expenditure Program (NEP). After budget deliberations, the House of Representatives realigned an additional ?56.6 billion, bringing the total to ?1.28 trillion, equivalent to 4.1 percent of GDP.
‘This milestone aligns the Philippines with the UNESCO-recommended standard for education financing between 4 to 6 percent of GDP or 15 to 20 percent of total public spending,’ the secretary added.
The allocation covers the entire education sector, including the Department of Education (DepEd), State Universities and Colleges (SUCs), the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).
‘Ibig sabihin po, we are on the same level as many developed countries when it comes to investing in education. If the economy is the body, education is the heart. Patuloy nating sisiguraduhin na malusog at tumitibok nang maayos ang puso ng ating bansa,’ she added.
To strengthen education’s infrastructure support, P35.1 billion of the additional P56.6 billion was sourced from adjustments within the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), particularly from flood control projects, to reinforce the Basic Education Facilities Fund (BEF).
The total education sector budget now stands at ?1.38 trillion, representing 12% of the national budget and 4.5% of GDP, which is the highest level in the Philippine history.
Of this amount, the Department of Education (DepEd) receives ?992.7 billion, reflecting an 8.6% increase or an additional ?78.5 billion. A large portion will address long-standing gaps in basic education, including the classroom backlog. DepEd is allocating ?68 billion for classroom construction, targeting the building of 19,000 to 27,000 new classrooms nationwide.
Major student support programs are also receiving significant boosts. The School-Based Feeding Program doubles from ?13 billion to ?28.66 billion, enabling operations across 200 school days and benefiting an estimated 4.8 million learners. Meanwhile, the budget for textbooks rises sharply from ?11 billion to ?29 billion to address shortages in learning materials.
To support learning recovery, the ARAL Program funding, which provides tutoring in Math and Reading, will increase from ?5.623 billion to ?8.93 billion, supporting 440,000 tutors and benefitting 6.7 million learners.
For higher education, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) receives ?48.2 billion, an 11% increase from last year’s ?43.6 billion. This includes ?6.6 billion for the Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES), which will support 490,000 incoming college students from 4Ps households. Beneficiaries will receive ?20,000 if enrolled in public higher education institutions, and ?27,000 if enrolled in private HEIs in areas without nearby public colleges and universities.
Meanwhile, TESDA’s budget rises from ?23.5 billion to ?25.3 billion, with an additional ?5.1 billion allocated to the Training for Work Scholarship Program (TWSP), aimed at training 190,000 Filipinos in priority skills.
State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) will also see their funding increase from ?131.7 billion to ?140.3 billion, strengthening campus facilities, academic programs, and research capabilities across the country.
Pangandaman emphasized that the 2026 budget advances the goals of the Philippine Development Plan 2023 – 2028 and supports President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s Bagong Pilipinas vision of fostering innovation, competitiveness, and inclusive growth through education.