DepEd, attached agencies seek P667-B budget for 2023

The Department of Education (DepEd) and its attached agencies have asked Congress for a P667-billion budget for 2023 based on the National Expenditure Program (NEP).

Under the NEP submitted by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to the House of Representatives last week, the DepEd is proposing a total of P667,180,655,000 funding for fiscal year 2023 to sustain its operations.

Majority of the allocation sought is for the Office of the Secretary at P666,252,738,000 to finance its programs on education policy development, basic education inputs, inclusive education, support to schools and learners, and education human resource development. 

Vice President Sara Duterte is the concurrent chief of DepEd.

Among the special provisions cited in the Office of the Secretary’s proposed budget is the allocation of P9,802,315,000 for basic education facilities. Of this amount, P5.9 billion is for the “construction, replacement, and completion” of kindergarten, elementary, and high school buildings, technical vocational laboratories, and water and sanitation facilities.

A separate P1.5 billion is for the “rehabilitation, renovation, repair, and improvement” of the schools and their water and sanitation facilities.

Another P1.8 billion was also allocated for the acquisition of school desks, furniture, and fixtures to ensure that all the newly constructed and existing schools have them.

A quick response fund was also set aside as a stand-by fund for the reconstruction or repair of school buildings and facilities affected by natural calamities, epidemics, and crises which occurred in the last quarter of 2021 and will happen in 2022.

DepEd spokesperson Atty. Michael Poa earlier said there is a shortage of 40,000 classrooms nationwide which were affected by the last earthquake that hit Abra and Typhoons Odette and Agaton.

There was also a special provision for the P5,000 cash allowance to teachers for every school year to augment the expenses for teaching supplies and materials, internet subscription, communication expenses, and their annual medical exam.

The disbursement of the said cash allowance to all teachers nationwide started during the opening of classes on August 22.

Funding of P19.4 billion, meanwhile, was allocated for the development and production of self-learning modules.

According to the budget document, the DepEd must ensure that the learning modules are free from any errors and other mishaps, and that erroneous modules will be immediately rectified or withdrawn and replaced without hampering the learning schedule of the students.

There was also a P53.2 billion appropriated for the Government Assistance and Subsidies—-P39.3 billion of which is for the implementation the Senior High School (SHS) Voucher Program to enable qualified students to enroll in private secondary schools, private Higher Education Institutions, private Technical Vocational Institutions, or in non-DepEd public schools.

Meanwhile, P12.4 billion of which will also be for the implementation of the Educational Service Contracting Program in private junior high schools, while the remaining P1.3 billion is for the implementation of the Joint Delivery Voucher Program to allow selected public SHS students taking the Technical Vocational and Livelihood track to take their subjects in private or non-DepEd schools.

Attached agencies

Further, the National Museum of the Philippines (NMP) held the biggest proposed budget among all DepEd’s attached agencies amounting to P444,407,000.

A special provision states that the NMP is authorized to use its income sourced from all its operations nationwide and overseas to constitute its income fund to be expended for any purpose in the benefit of NMP.

The NMP budget was followed by the National Academy of Sports with P226,558,000; the Philippine High School for the Arts with P100,895,000; National Book Development Board with P64,572,000; Early Childhood Care and Development Council with P59,415,000; and National Council for Children’s Television with P32,070,000.

The 1987 Constitution mandates that the education sector, composed of the DepEd, Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), and state universities and colleges, has the highest budgetary priority.

The DBM said the education sector is set to receive P852.8 billion for next year. — RSJ, GMA News