SENATE Finance Committee chairperson Sherwin Gatchalian on Monday said the 2026 national budget will prioritize education, with efforts to increase the sector’s share to at least 4% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).

Speaking at the Kapihan sa Senado forum, Gatchalian emphasized that the move aligns with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s recent pronouncements highlighting education as a key national concern.

“This will be an education budget,” Gatchalian said.

“We heard the President, and a large portion of his speech was dedicated to education. We’ll push to exceed the 4% of GDP allocation. Right now, it stands at around 3.8% to 3.9%. In the past, it reached 4%, but has since declined. For 2026, we aim to restore that level,” he added.

The senator clarified that while education will be given special focus, other essential sectors will still receive attention.

“This doesn’t mean we’re neglecting other necessities, but we will place strong emphasis on education,” he said.

Among the priority areas for strategic funding are early literacy and numeracy, classroom shortages, and the hiring of teacher aides for administrative support.

In line with recommendations from the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II), Gatchalian underscored the need to strengthen basic reading and math skills among Kindergarten to Grade 3 learners.

“DepEd has already started the ARAL program. We’ll ensure it receives proper funding so children who struggle with reading or counting at an early age get the tutoring and intervention they need,” he explained.

He also raised concerns over the worsening classroom shortage and proposed reviving a counterparting scheme with local government units (LGUs).

“The national government will provide funding, while LGUs will contribute and take the lead in construction to speed up classroom building,” Gatchalian said.

He also supported the President’s call to lessen non-teaching tasks for educators.

“We’re planning to hire more teacher aides to handle administrative work, allowing teachers to focus on teaching,” he added.