Nation

BICAM APPROVES P86.8-B BOOST FOR DEPED IN 2026 BUDGET

DANG SAMSON GARCIA / 14 December 2025
THE BICAMERAL conference committee reconciling the proposed P6.793-trillion national budget for 2026 has approved an additional P86.8 billion for the Department of Education, raising its total allocation to P961.3 billion.
Lawmakers agreed to the increase on the first day of the committee’s open deliberations on next year’s budget. The additional funding raises DepEd’s allocation from P874.5 billion under the National Expenditure Program (NEP) to the final proposed level.
“Under the Department of Education, the total increase would be P86.8 billion from the NEP level—from P874.5 billion to a final number of P961.3 billion,” said Nueva Ecija 1st District Rep. Mikaela Suansing, chair of the House Committee on Appropriations.
Suansing said the largest increases were earmarked for classroom construction, textbooks and instructional materials, and the school-based feeding program.
Under the Basic Education Facilities Program, DepEd will receive an additional P57.3 billion, expected to fund the construction of at least 35,000 classrooms nationwide in 2026. Funding for textbooks and instructional materials will also increase by P8.3 billion, raising the allocation from P11.1 billion under the NEP to P19.5 billion. Suansing said this aims to address persistent shortages of books and learning materials in public schools.
Meanwhile, the school-based feeding program will get an additional P13.9 billion, increasing its budget from P11.7 billion. The expanded funding will allow the program to cover 180 days, up from the current 120 days, benefiting more students throughout the school year.
Earlier, Senate Finance Committee Chair Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian said the education sector’s overall budget remains at 4.5 percent of GDP, amounting to P1.37 trillion. Gatchalian identified four key enhancements in the education budget: increased funding for classroom construction, expansion of DepEd’s school-based feeding program, higher capacity for state universities and colleges, and the allocation of P1 billion to the Local Government Support Fund to provide financial assistance to fourth- and fifth-class municipalities.