Budget reenactment won’t disrupt education programs – DepEd

The Department of Education (DepEd) on Wednesday assured that the brief reenactment of the 2025 national budget for the first few days of January 2026 will have no impact on its ongoing programs and services for learners and teachers.

In a statement responding to concerns on the pending enactment of the 2026 national budget, the DepEd said all continuing and existing programs are fully funded under the 2025 General Appropriations Act, allowing operations to proceed without interruption even if a reenacted budget is implemented briefly.

“DepEd’s ongoing and existing programs that support our learners and teachers remain unaffected, as they are fully funded under the 2025 GAA, ensuring uninterrupted continuity of operations,” said Dennis Legaspi, chief of the DepEd’s Media Relations Office.

This was amid reports that next year’s spending plan may be signed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in the first week of January, resulting in a reenacted budget for about a week at the start of 2026.

The education sector is set to receive the largest allocation in the proposed 2026 budget.

Legaspi explained that a reenacted budget would only affect the rollout of new programs that are not yet covered by the current appropriations law.

“The reenactment of the budget would only affect the rollout of new programs, and the brief period will be used by DepEd to finalize the necessary implementation guidelines,” he said.

A reenacted budget allows government agencies to continue spending based on the previous year’s appropriations until a new budget is signed into law.

The DepEd said this mechanism ensures stability in the delivery of basic education services, particularly at the start of the school year.

It added that it remains prepared to immediately implement new initiatives once the 2026 General Appropriations Act is signed into law and ensure that learners and teachers will not experience disruptions during the transition period.

On Tuesday, DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara said the proposed 2026 national budget ratified by Congress was designed to ensure that government spending produces clear and measurable gains in student learning.

Angara described the 2026 budget process as among the most transparent in history, stressing that allocations were closely reviewed to make sure funds are directed to programs that directly affect classrooms, teachers, and learners under the DepEd. — JMA, GMA Integrated News