SENATOR FLAGS IRREGULARITIES IN DEPED’S E-GASTPE PROGRAM
/ 24 January 2026
SENATOR Raffy Tulfo denounced the Department of Education’s Expanded Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education (E-GASTPE) program, citing alleged irregularities that have prevented it from fulfilling its intended purpose.
Tulfo said the program could have benefited millions of Filipino students but was undermined by abuse and mismanagement.
“And this is really where my repeated criticisms of the E-GASTPE and the voucher program come from. It could have been good, but it is not achieving its purpose because of the foolishness of others—ghost students, institutions pretending to be private schools, patronage politics, and so on,” Tulfo said in Filipino.
He added that some officials appear to be favoring certain beneficiaries, resulting in the misuse of funds that should have gone to education.
Tulfo noted that P41.18 billion has been allocated for the E-GASTPE under the proposed 2026 national budget, even as a measure is being pushed to institutionalize the program.
While expressing support for the continuation of E-GASTPE, the senator stressed the need to impose stricter conditions, particularly on transparency and accountability.
He said all stakeholders—students, teachers, communities, and both public and private school institutions—should be fully informed about the program.
Tulfo also called for clear documentation on how funds are disbursed, how beneficiary areas and students are selected, and how participating private schools are chosen.
“There must be a record of where this money will go and how area beneficiaries, student beneficiaries, and private schools are selected. There must be auditing done,” he said.
Tulfo further urged the Department of Education to present a detailed, step-by-step plan on how the P41.18 billion budget for 2026 will be utilized.
He said issues raised during the hearing and in future discussions should be addressed and reflected in the implementation of the program.
“For 2026, I would like to see the step-by-step process on how the P41.18 billion will be utilized. Let us test-run, as early as now, the best practices that we will incorporate into this law,” Tulfo said.
