Addt'l P55-B education budget needed to reach 4% of GDP — Gatchalian

Senate finance committee chairman Sherwin Gatchalian said Friday that an additional P55 billion is needed to ensure that the education spending will hit at least 4% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP). 

This, even as a P1.224-trillion budget was allocated for the education sector under the 2026 National Expenditure Program (NEP).

“Pagsisikapan nating tugunan ang kakulangan sa pondo ng edukasyon upang mas marami pa tayong matulungan—-mga mag-aaral man o guro,” Gatchalian said in a statement.

(We will strive to address the lack of funding for the education sector so that we can help more students and teachers.)

According to the senator’s office, the education sector’s proposed budget for next year is only P1.178 trillion or 3.8% of projected GDP for 2026.

The 4% GDP benchmark on education spending was recommended by UNESCO under the Education 2030 Incheon Declaration. 

However, Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman previously admitted that the Philippines can't allocate enough funds for essential services such as education and health to meet the standards of the country's international and development partners because it would go beyond its budget level.

“‘Yan po ay nakapaloob sa Philippine Development Plan at saka sa mga roadmap ng ating mga departamento. Sa susunod na taon po, ang mga prayoridad po natin, unang-una po ay education. Sinubukan po natin na at least kahit papaano matugunan iyong 4% [of GDP] na kinakailangan para po sa ating basic education at tertiary education. Sinubukan po talaga natin,” Pangandaman said.

(We based our proposed budget on the Philippine Development Plan and roadmaps of different departments. Next year, our top priority is education so we tried to meet the 4% . We really tried.)

The 1987 Constitution indicates that the State shall assign the highest budgetary priority to the education sector. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News