SENATE Finance Committee Chairman Sherwin Gatchalian said the historic P1.3 trillion allocation to the education sector will have an immediate impact on the expansion of the School-Based Feeding Program and the hiring of more teachers and tutors.

The 2026 national budget allocates P42 billion for the creation of new school personnel positions.

Of this amount, P29 billion is earmarked to fill more than 32,000 teaching positions.

Another P9 billion is allocated to ensure that all public schools will have tutors for the implementation of the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program.

Meanwhile, the P25.6 billion budget allotted to the School-Based Feeding Program will increase the number of feeding days from 120 to 200.

This year’s feeding program will also cover all Kindergarten and Grade 1 learners, while continuing support for wasted, severely wasted, stunted, and severely stunted learners from Grades 2 to 6.

“Ilan sa mga agarang epekto ng makasaysayang pondong inilaan natin para sa sektor ng edukasyon ang pagpapalawak sa School-Based Feeding Program at pagkakaroon ng mga dagdag na guro, pati na rin mga tutors para sa ARAL Program na tutulong sa ating mga mag-aaral na nahihirapan sa kanilang mga aralin,” said Gatchalian.