IT is what the constitution mandates: the highest budget for education. It is right and just. The 2026 budget should not surprise us.
Partly optimistic for the positive indication of this administration’s quest to regain public trust or at least to divert the attention to what is a job-well-done, or given the benefit of the doubt is a genuine display of will to repair what was wrong, we must remain vigilant on how this budget is utilized for its intended outcomes. Paranoid that we already are a nation, we commend this part of the story, for now.
But budget does not guarantee anything. Remember how the well-funded the Department of Public Works and Highways has become the haven of thieves and crocodiles to feast on what we thought was anchored on a well-intentioned agenda of fixing our infrastructure?
The Department of Education (DepEd), being the biggest government bureaucracy and has the tall order of ensuring the fate of the country, is now duty bound to demonstrate that this administration means business, not for the personal gains of the “gods” in its kingdom but for the reason for being of education — ensure the competencies of the future generation toward nation-building. And DepEd is only one of the players in our trifocalized system of education.
Secretary Sonny Angara has a legacy of a father to protect, who had served Philippine education well. Further, there is hope in the DepEd leadership, as well as in the Commission on Higher Education, and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority — being composed of highly educated technocrats who are presumed to epitomize the ideals of educated Filipinos.
Simply put, the education sector must be a sector we can trust.
A trillion dreams
The 2026 budget is a historic investment in learning. Responding to objective and nagging findings of many studies, including the Education Commission 2 (EdCom 2), the 2026 national budget earmarks approximately P1.38 trillion for education, the largest allocation in history. It surpassed the recommendation of the United Nations which sets the threshold of 4 to 6 percent of the gross domestic product for education funding.
The nation cannot anymore close its eyes to the realities of how problematic and fractured our education system has become through the years, as evidenced by the dismal performance of our children. Political leaders and education advocates have heralded the budget as both timely and transformative. This is provided that the funds will be deployed with discipline and accountability.
The budget reflects a strategic shift in Philippine education financing that covers nearly P993 billion for DepEd to strengthen basic and secondary education, including the construction of classrooms and the reduction of overcrowding.
Billions of pesos are allotted to academic recovery programs such as the ARAL (Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning) initiative, which provides trained tutors and targeted support to millions of learners. Reflecting the understanding that adequate nutrition is foundational to learning, the Expanded Nutrition and Feeding Program is provided with doubled budgets for school-based feeding and extended days of provision. This hopes to engage local agriculture and provide opportunity for the supply of nutritious indigenous produce.
Increased funding for textbooks, learning materials and computerization to ensure classrooms are not only safe but also adequately resourced. The AI Center has taken the headline as a priority.
Again, this is provided that corruption will not suck the blood of this sector which had been bleeding and anemic for decade.
This budget needs to confront decadeslong dysfunction within the Philippine education system. This historic allocation aims to address the foundational causes of learning underperformance — especially literacy and competency shortfalls — through comprehensive reforms in policy, funding and governance.
The learning crisis that triggered
This section may sound tiring and depressing to see, but it is noteworthy that there is a valid and reliable conclusion that the Philippines is in the grip of a deep learning crisis. EdCom 2’s latest reports make clear that the country’s education system is failing to deliver basic competencies for millions of learners.
Functional illiteracy is pervasive with over 24 million Filipinos ages 10 to 64 being functionally illiterate, meaning they lack the basic literacy skills necessary for meaningful participation in society (Philippine Statistics Authority and EdCom 2), with another 5.8 million being outright illiterate, unable to read or write at all.
Early literacy is alarmingly low citing that 85 percent of Grades 1–3 learners are struggling readers, with only 15 percent reading at grade level. Learning gaps in competencies extend beyond literacy highlighting that many students are years behind grade-level expectations in mathematics and other basic competencies.
The global learning poverty indicators cited by the World Bank data show that nine in every 10 Filipino children at primary age cannot read and understand a simple text by age 10, a rate significantly higher than regional peers. International assessments like the Program for International Student Assessment likewise show that Filipino students score well below global averages in reading, math and science, with a majority not reaching minimum proficiency levels.
Diagnosing systemic weaknesses
EdCom 2 as established was able to diagnose and recalibrate the Philippine education system. The report paints a picture of long-standing underinvestment, fractured governance and misaligned policy priorities.
The EdCom 2 Year Two Report, “Fixing the Foundations: A Matter of National Survival,” underscores the need not just for funding, but for a strategic overhaul of priorities — starting with early education, school readiness, classroom infrastructure and teacher support.
Beyond the numbers
While funding is necessary, scholars, advocates and practitioners emphasize that it must be accompanied by strategic reforms. Here are some reforms expected given this budget that can fuel even an educational revolution.
Literacy interventions must be focused. Experts argue that targeted early grade literacy programs, aligned with global research showing the critical link between reading proficiency and later learning outcomes, must be a central pillar of reform.
Teacher professional development must have the highest priority. The quality of instruction depends on well-trained educators. Professional training, performance incentives and support mechanisms are recommended to enhance teaching capacity. Teachers’ salaries must be revisited, and the seamless career progression must be ensured.
Inclusive education expansion must not be left behind. Studies highlight that learners with disabilities remain underserved, with only a fraction enrolled in public schools. Strengthening inclusive education infrastructure and capacity is essential to equity.
Learning assessments must be the basis of data-driven policy and monitoring. Data systems must enable targeted interventions and adaptive policymaking.
The path ahead
Secretary Angara has publicly affirmed DepEd’s commitment to tackling foundational learning deficits, streamlining operations and aligning resources with core instructional goals. The department is moving to ensure timely delivery of learning materials, professionalize human resources and support students’ nutritional needs as part of a broader ecosystem approach to learning.
Secretary Angara’s reform agenda includes legislative efforts to empower local education funds, expand teacher deployment programs and strengthen learner support laws. And he should never miss the private education sector and the Constitution-prescribed complementarity.
By aligning funding with the evidence presented by EdCom 2 and global learning indicators, the nation has an opportunity to transform its education system from one marked by chronic deficits to one capable of nurturing competent, resilient, and Filipino global citizens and lifelong learners who can contribute to nation-building.
-END –
SOURCE: The Manila Times