DepEd eyes more funds by partnering with DBM, DOF
Education Secretary Sonny Angara
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Education (DepEd) aims for more funding for its programs by working with the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and the Department of Finance (DOF), DepEd announced on Wednesday.
The education sector was allotted P1.055 trillion for 2025, the largest allocation in the year’s General Appropriations Act (GAA) signed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. last Monday. Article XIV Section 5(5) of the 1987 Constitution mandates that “the State shall assign the highest budgetary priority to education.”
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DepEd is tapping unprogrammed appropriations and more constitutional mechanisms to fund its key programs, including its computerization initiative, the department said in a statement Wednesday evening, Jan. 1.
“Education remains a top priority for this administration, and we will be working closely with the DBM and DOF to explore funding mechanisms that will enable us to deliver our mandate,” Education Secretary Sonny Angara said.
Article continues after this advertisement“Education is everyone’s business, and we’re aiming for closer collaboration,” he added.
Article continues after this advertisementAt a press briefing last Monday, Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said more funding was possible for DepEd “as long as there was additional revenue from the DOF.”
“DepEd remains hopeful that its partnership with government agencies and stakeholders will help address ongoing challenges and ensure that critical initiatives address the needs of Filipino learners,” Angara said.
READ: Education not prioritized in 2025 budget — Lacson, Makabayan bloc
Former senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson and House lawmakers in the Makabayan bloc previously said the education sector was still not prioritized in the signed GAA, even as Marcos vetoed P194-billion line items, including P26.06-billion congressional insertions.
