SENATOR Sherwin Gatchalian hailed the Bicameral Conference Committee-approved 2026 national budget as a landmark achievement for education, securing ₱1.38 trillion for the sector—the largest share in Philippine history. This represents about 20% of the total ₱6.793 trillion national budget and 4.5% of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), meeting the UNESCO benchmark of 4–6% for the first time.

“This is a historic investment in education and a clear statement of our priorities,” Gatchalian said. “We are investing not just in numbers, but in classrooms, nutrition, and learning materials.”

Key allocations include:

– Department of Education (DepEd): ₱961 billion, with ₱85 billion for basic education facilities, including the construction of around 35,000 new classrooms.

– School-Based Feeding Program: ₱25.6 billion to cover all Kindergarten and Grade 1 learners for 200 days.

– Textbooks and instructional materials: ₱19.5 billion to ensure complete resources for all learners.

– Commission on Higher Education (CHED): ₱47.7 billion, including seed funding for new medical schools in state universities and colleges.

– Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA): ₱26 billion, supporting programs like the Training for Work Scholarship Program to train 190,000 Filipinos in high-demand sectors such as healthcare, artificial intelligence, semiconductors, and creative industries.

“From basic education to higher education and skills training, we are strengthening the entire learning pipeline,” Gatchalian added.