THE DEPARTMENT of Education’s (DepEd) Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program received no dedicated funding under the proposed 2027 National Expenditure Program (NEP), prompting Senator Erwin Tulfo to question the government’s budget priorities for struggling learners.

During a Senate budget hearing, Tulfo pointed out that DepEd had requested P15.6 billion for the program, which provides remedial instruction to learners struggling with reading, mathematics, and science.

However, the proposed NEP contained no separate budget allocation for ARAL, while the House of Representatives later earmarked P350 million for the program under the General Appropriations Bill (GAB).

Tulfo questioned why the program was not given adequate funding despite its critical role in helping learners overcome academic difficulties and catch up with their lessons.

DepEd Undersecretary Carmela Oracion explained that ARAL is a remediation initiative established under the ARAL Law, which provides the legal basis for delivering additional instruction to learners who have fallen behind academically.

She said the program was developed in response to the country’s persistently poor performance in international assessments and the urgent need to address learning gaps, particularly in reading, mathematics, and science.

Oracion reported that the number of struggling readers declined from 6.7 million to 2.2 million following the program’s implementation last year. She also noted improvements in the number of learners reading at their respective grade levels.

Under ARAL, teachers conduct tutorial sessions for groups of around 10 to 15 learners. Schools determine the most appropriate schedules, with sessions held before or after regular classes, during breaks, or on Saturdays when necessary.

Tulfo also sought clarification from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) regarding the apparent absence of a dedicated allocation for the program.

DBM Director Vivien Labastilla explained that ARAL was not reflected as a separate budget line item because its funding was lodged under the allocation for textbooks and other learning supplies.

The explanation came amid concerns about whether sufficient resources would be available to sustain learning recovery efforts, with Tulfo pressing the agencies to ensure that the program receives adequate funding.

Meanwhile, Tulfo raised concerns over the proposed reduction in DepEd’s computerization program budget, which was cut from the department’s requested P5.79 billion to P3.16 billion.

The program aims, among other objectives, to provide laptops to public school teachers nationwide.

Education Secretary Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara said around 287,000 laptops were expected to arrive, but noted that the number of teachers nationwide stands at approximately 800,000.

Angara acknowledged that not all teachers would immediately receive laptops, highlighting the gap between the available equipment and the needs of the country’s teaching workforce.

The budget concerns underscore the challenges facing DepEd as it seeks to strengthen learning recovery initiatives while providing teachers with the resources and equipment needed to improve classroom instruction.