SENATOR Sherwin Gatchalian said more than P182 million has been allotted for scholarships in master’s degrees in Guidance Counseling, Psychology, and other related specializations.

Gatchalian said these allocations are necessary to address the critical shortage of mental health and inclusive education professionals in the Philippine education system.

“The historic budget we allotted to the education sector for 2026 includes investments that will support inclusive education and uphold the mental health and well-being of our learners,” Gatchalian said.

“These scholarships to support future guidance counselors, therapists, and other allied health professionals are consistent with the progressive realization of promoting mental health in basic education and supporting inclusive education for learners with disabilities,” he added.

Budget allocations under the Fiscal Year 2026 General Appropriations Act, through the Commission on Higher Education, include Specialized Post-Graduate Scholarships for DepEd personnel.

Of this amount, P121.37 million is allocated to support at least two DepEd employees per Schools Division Office, while another P60.68 million is earmarked for at least one qualified employee per SDO to specialize in support of inclusive education programs.

The GAA also mandates a return service agreement for scholarship recipients.Under the special provision, scholars shall commit to serve in public schools or government health facilities for a period equivalent to the number of years they received the scholarship.

Underserved areas and schools with inclusive education programs will be prioritized.

Data from CHED reveals a significant gap in professional supply, noting that in School Year 2023–2024, there were fewer than 300 graduates nationwide with a Master of Arts in Guidance Counseling.“True inclusivity in education means having the right people on the ground.

Through these investments, we ensure that our Schools Division Offices and Inclusive Learning Resource Centers are staffed with multidisciplinary teams—from registered guidance counselors and psychologists to therapists,” Rep. Roman Romulo said.

The Commission also highlighted the need for specialists to form multidisciplinary teams in Inclusive Learning Resource Centers.

Under the CHED Merit Scholarship Program, priority will be given to undergraduate students enrolled in Educational Psychology, Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and Speech Language Pathology to ensure that the 16-member teams mandated by Republic Act No. 11650 can be fully realized.

Complementing these efforts, the Teacher Education Council received P103 million for its Teacher Education Scholarship Program.

The funding aims to address widespread teacher specialization mismatches—where around 64 percent of teachers handle subjects outside their majors—by supporting 1,200 scholarship slots. These include 500 dedicated slots for Special Needs Education and another 500 for Early Childhood Education.
The program seeks to ensure that educators in the basic education sector possess the specialized expertise necessary to effectively support learners with diverse needs.