DepEd to get P28B for classrooms, education facilities in 2026 NEP

The Department of Education (DepEd) has allocated P28 billion for next year to support basic education facilities, including the construction, repair, and rehabilitation of classrooms to help address the shortage and overcrowding of students in some schools.

With a P863.3-billion budget under the 2026 National Expenditure Program submitted by Malacanang to Congress, DepEd will receive the lion's share of the P6.793 trillion national budget for next year.

The amount for the basic education facilities will be allocated as follows:

P13.24 billion: For the construction, replacement, and completion of kindergarten, elementary, and secondary school buildings and technical vocational laboratories; installation or replacement of disability access facilities; the construction of water and sanitation facilities; and site improvement such as school ground site levelling, slope protection, demolition of obstructions and unsafe structures, and construction of drainage system, fence and gate, among others, in all income class municipalities and cities.

P2 billion: For the construction of kindergarten, elementary, and secondary medium-rise school buildings and technical vocational laboratories; installation or replacement of disability access facilities; construction of water and sanitation facilities; and site improvement.

P56 million: For the construction of Alternative Learning System Community Learning Centers.

P6.13 billion: For the rehabilitation, renovation, repair, and improvement of kindergarten, elementary, and secondary school buildings following the "Repair All Policy." among others;

P500 million: For priority school health facilities for the construction, replacement, repair, rehabilitation of water systems, handwashing facilities, toilet facilities, and other health and sanitation-related facilities of the schools and their adaptation for accessibility of persons with disabilities to avoid the spread of diseases and ensure health and sanitation in schools;

P209 million: For the conversion of Special Education (SPED) centers into Inclusive Learning Resource Centers (ILRCs) in various regions.

P1 billion: For the construction, repair, rehabilitation, or replacement of library hub buildings.

P1 billion: For the conduct of preliminary and detailed engineering activities such as site validation, subsoil exploration, perimeter survey, and geotechnical evaluation, including expenses for site validation activities, and the hiring of engineers.

P2.61 billion: For the acquisition of school desks, furniture and fixtures to ensure that all newly constructed and existing kindergarten, elementary, and secondary school buildings are provided with the corresponding number of school desks, furniture and fixtures. 

P1.29 billion: For the electrification of unenergized schools or off-grid schools and modernization of electrical systems of on-grid schools. 

Overall, the 2026 budget proposal gives a significant boost to key DepEd programs, including P13.63 billion for the Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education (GASTPE) voucher program, P5.9 billion for textbook procurement, and P4.17 billion for the feeding program.

Malacañang earlier emphasized that education remains the top government priority, noting that the proposed allocation is meant to address learning gaps, improve facilities, and upgrade teaching resources. The budget bill is now under congressional scrutiny ahead of the 2026 fiscal year.

In a recent press statement, DepEd said its strategy incorporates a national classroom master plan using demographic trends and site-level data, aiming to program funds efficiently through the Basic Education Facilities Fund and Quick Response Fund. DepEd engineers will monitor construction, with inter-agency validation ensuring transparency and quality.

Flood and typhoon-resilient designs are also being adopted—such as stilted classrooms and elevated structures with waterproofed roofing, particularly in regions like Bicol.

DepEd also supports the proposed Classroom Building Acceleration Program (CAP) under Senate Bill No. 121, emphasizing that it should be built on the national master plan, with clear shared roles, priority targeting of high-need areas, and centralized monitoring.

The education sector got the largest allocation in the proposed 2026 NEP—P1.224 trillion—upholding the constitutional mandate to prioritize education funding.

This includes P928.5 billion for DepEd, P134.9 billion for State Universities and Colleges (SUCs), P33.9 billion for CHED, and P20.2 billion for TESDA.

Teachers' allowances were increased to ensure a doubled rate of P10,000 per month starting SY 2025–2026.—LDF, GMA Integrated News