The allocated budget for basic and higher education was increased 'monumentally' to meet the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) recommended education spending target of at least 4.0% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP), the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said.
While it had always been part of the constitutional mandate to assign the highest budgetary priority to education, Pangandaman proudly announced the news on Wednesday, August 13, during the ceremonial turnover of the 2026 National Expenditure Program (NEP).
“This is because we are determined to deliver immediate action on child nutrition, address the education crisis, and support our youth so they can find jobs and, more importantly, follow their dreams,” Pangandaman said.
Moreover, the significant improvement aligns with the administration’s goal to nurture future-ready generations. The DBM Secretary hoped that Congress would support them in achieving this target.
“At PHP 1.224 trillion or about 16.6% of the proposed budget, this also meets the requirement of the UNESCO education 20-30 framework to allocate at least 15 to 20 percent of the total public expenditure to education, even exceeding the global average of just 14.2%” she highlighted.
Under the proposed NEP for fiscal year 2026, the agency revealed it would focus on addressing the education crisis in the country, highlighting the creation of more teaching and non-teaching positions. This includes making room for more school counselors and administrative staff, as well as allocating money for teachers’ allowance under the Kabalikat Pagtuturo Act.
Moreover, under the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program, over 6,000 tutors will assist teaching personnel in public schools.
Funds were also allocated to support the Department of Education’s (DepEd) computerization program, aiming to provide 48,561 packages for teachers, and the construction of 4,869 classrooms in 2026.
Aside from improving the Alternative Learning System (ALS) Program and Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education, the DBM announced the creation of the “Bagong Pilipinas Merit Scholarship Program.” A total of PHP 635 million was allocated for the said program, benefitting 10,260 scholars.
During the turnover ceremony, Pangandaman announced that the largest allocation will go to social services, which cover: education, health, and social protection. This totaled to PHP 2.314 trillion or 34.1% of the total budget.
This was closely followed by economic services with PHP 1.868 trillion or 27.5% of the budget.
On Tuesday evening, the DBM officially turned over the NEP for the 2026 national budget, amounting to PHP 6.793 trillion, to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
