President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. vowed to restore the ₱12 billion axed from the Department of Education’s (DepEd) proposed allocation for 2025.
On Monday, Marcos said in an interview that he is presently working on the matter. However, he does not wish to line-item veto portions of the 2025 General Appropriations Bill (GAB), positive that legislators would be able to accommodate adjustments before he signs off on the proposed budget.
“We’re working on it to make sure that we will restore it. I do not want to line-item veto anything because that just gets in the way. So we’re still talking about it and trying to find a way,” he said.
He added that the ₱12 billion cutback from DepEd’s computerization program ran counter to his administration’s policy direction on education, specifically in promoting the development of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics).
“The original request of … ₱12 billion is only sufficient to maintain what they (DepEd) are already doing, when in fact, they have to do more. So we have to figure that out. We’re working on it to make sure that we will restore it,” the President stressed.
Marcos also noted that a veto may be overhasty, with the process “still ongoing,” counting the reconsideration of several “worrisome” parts: aside from DepEd, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) was also subject to a hefty slash to their proposed budget, and the Department of Health (DOH) is set to receive zero funding.
“We’re still finalizing because what came out of the (bicameral conference committee) were just the total, so the details were still unclear. So we’re returning to those and all those elements that are worrisome are something we’re trying to make sure they are not put at a disadvantage,” Marcos stated.
“Let’s leave it to them (Congress). We’ll have that discussion with the bicam essentially and the leaders of both Houses,” he added.
Lawmakers however, defended the DepEd budget cut, citing the agency’s low utilization rate in the previous year—a claim Education Secretary Sonny Angara denied.
Angara had denounced the budget cut on Thursday, which reduced its allocation from ₱748.65 billion to ₱737 billion. He said the ₱12 billion would have been used to provide thousands of public school children devices and diminish the digital divide among students.
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) was allotted ₱289 billion more.
The Constitution states: “The State shall assign the highest budgetary priority to education and ensure that teaching will attract and retain its rightful share of the best available talents through adequate remuneration and other means of job satisfaction and fulfillment.”
