Angara: DepEd budget lacking if PH means to catch up with rest of Southeast Asia

Education Secretary Sonny Angara on Monday acknowledged that the proposed 2027 budget of the Department of Education (DepEd) may be insufficient if the Philippines means to catch up with other Southeast Asian countries in terms of education quality, but said the agency would focus on its priorities.

“Medyo kulang-kulang [It’s somewhat lacking]. It’s difficult, but we still try our best," he said in an ambush interview after the House Committee on Appropriations hearing.

Angara said DepEd would make the most of the funds available by concentrating on what it considers its most important priorities. He identified teacher welfare and training, as well as foundational learning, among those priorities.

“So if you look at them, they really focus on teacher welfare, teacher training, well, talaga. The basics tayo, namin ni Presidente, make sure all kids know how to read at a very young age, so foundational learning.”

(So if you look at them, they really focus on teacher welfare and teacher training. The basics for us and the President are to make sure all kids know how to read at a very young age, so foundational learning.)

Funding gaps could slow down programs

Angara also acknowledged that the lack of funding for some programs could affect the pace of their implementation.

Asked how the absence of budget for some programs would affect initiatives being pushed by DepEd, he said, “Of course, it can slow it down, but we’re hoping for a restoration, some of the items."

The department is seeking additional funding for programs and interventions that were not accommodated under the 2027 National Expenditure Program (NEP).

In a press release issued after the hearing, DepEd said it was seeking ₱145.19 billion in additional funding for the department, on top of its proposed 2027 NEP allocation. The department said the additional funding would address gaps in learning recovery, personnel hiring, school safety and other priority programs.

The House committee said it is mulling pushing for the return of the funding.

ARAL program still unfunded under 2027 NEP

One of the major programs without funding in the 2027 NEP is the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program.

DepEd’s press release said ARAL received no funding in the 2027 NEP, despite what the department described as positive results in School Year 2025–2026.

The department said it is seeking ₱15.98 billion for ARAL, including funding for teaching-overload honoraria, tutor training, external tutors, learning resources, the ARAL Summer Program, learning recovery and remediation consultations, and program management.

This is the official DepEd figure in the press release and should be used in the updated ARAL story rather than the earlier ₱9.98-billion figure from the hearing transcript.

DepEd defends flexibility in voucher funds

Angara was also asked about the setup for DepEd’s voucher programs and whether allowing flexibility in the use of funds could affect transparency.

He said the issue was more about flexibility in using appropriations than transparency.

“Not so much that. I think it’s more of flexibility. So it’s still the same items, but kasi pag hindi nagamit dito, at least pwede mong ilipat sa ibang budget, hindi magagamit yung pondo.”

(So it’s still the same items, but if it isn’t used here, at least you can transfer it to another budget, so the funds won’t go unused.)

Angara explained that without a special provision allowing such movement, unused funds under a particular line item could not simply be transferred elsewhere.

He also said DepEd was prepared to provide information on beneficiaries.

“Wala namang issue sa mga disclosure issues,” he said.

(There is no issue regarding disclosure.)

He added, “We were willing to give a list of the beneficiaries, et cetera, [identify the] beneficiaries, schools, et cetera.”

DepEd prioritizes foundational learning

Angara said that given the limitations of the proposed budget, DepEd would concentrate on basic learning competencies, particularly ensuring that children learn to read at an early age.

“The basics tayo, namin ni Presidente, make sure all kids know how to read at a very young age, so foundational learning," he said.

This comes as DepEd’s proposed 2027 budget includes ₱10.81 billion for learning recovery under the Project for Learning Upgrade Support and Decentralization (PLUS-D) program, according to the department’s press release.

DepEd’s 2027 budget proposal

DepEd presented a ₱975.96-billion proposed budget for fiscal year 2027, including allocations for its attached agencies, before the House Committee on Appropriations. It is also seeking ₱145.19 billion in additional funding for critical DepEd programs not accommodated in the 2027 NEP.

Under the proposed NEP allocation, Personnel Services would increase by 8.64% to ₱766.74 billion, while Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) would decrease by 15.94% to ₱174.32 billion, and Capital Outlay would decline by 67.49% to ₱32.34 billion.

The department said the proposed budget also includes ₱12.09 billion for the promotion of more than 135,000 teachers and school heads, ₱17.31 billion for more than 4,900 new classrooms, and ₱7.33 billion for repairs of 11,100 classrooms. — BM, GMA News