Marcos wants to boost funds for DepEd after budget cuts

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. wants to allocate funds for the key programs of the Department of Education (DepEd) as the agency disclosed the reduction in its budget for fiscal year 2025. 

In a meeting with the DepEd on Thursday, Marcos noticed the budget gaps on DepEd’s projects, with the agency saying it may worsen the country’s problem on shortage of teachers. 

“We have to be able to show that that’s (education) the priority,” Marcos emphasized during the review of DepEd’s 2025 budget. 

According to the Presidential Communications Office, the approved DepEd budget for 2025 is P737 billion which is lower than its proposed P748 billion. 

The allocations reduced by Congress were for the creation of new school personnel positions, the Basic Education Facilities Fund (BEFF), and the implementation of the DepEd Computerization Program (DCP).

The lower budget for new school personnel positions will “exacerbate the teacher shortage,” according to the agency.

It also said the requirement from previous years remains partly addressed, further compromising the delivery of quality education. 

To recall, the DepEd proposed P12.379 billion for its DCP but was only given P2.43 billion. It said the decrease would affect the delivery of learner and teacher tools, such as laptops, smart TVs, and satellite-based internet.

Due to this, the agency was forced to cancel about P4 billion out of the P7 billion worth of DCP projects that already underwent early procurement processes.

The reduced BEFF will also affect the construction of school buildings, the DepEd said. 

It was not clear yet where the government will source the funds for these projects.

Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said unprogrammed appropriations could be utilized ''once triggers [have] been satisfied."

For his part, DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara echoed Pangandaman's response, saying that these unprogrammed appropriations will be dependent on additional sources of revenue.

Angara told GMA News Online that these are usually available around the second quarter of the year at the earliest.

On the other hand, Marcos concurred with TESDA’s plan to study options for financing its unfunded programs, which include the creation of Enterprise-based Training Office and the establishment of New Regional Office for Negros Island Region.—AOL, GMA Integrated News