SENATE Committee on Finance chairman Sherwin Gatchalian on Tuesday assured that the Senate will exercise rigorous oversight to ensure the proper use of the historic P1.3 trillion education budget for 2026.

Under the General Appropriations Act signed by the President, the education sector received a final allocation of P1.35 trillion, equivalent to 4.4 percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).

This is the first time the national budget has met UNESCO’s benchmark of allocating 4 to 6 percent of GDP to education.

“Isang hakbang ang paglalaan natin ng malaking pondo para sa edukasyon, ngunit mahalaga ring matiyak nating magagamit ito nang tama para sa kapakanan ng ating mga mag-aaral at mga guro,” said Gatchalian.

Key allocations in the 2026 education budget include:

• P85 billion to accelerate classroom construction nationwide.
• P25.6 billion to expand the School-Based Feeding Program, increasing feeding days from 120 to 200.
• P37.4 billion for the implementation of the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education, also known as the Free College Law.