MANILA, Philippines — Department of Education Secretary Sonny Angara and teachers’ groups have decried Congress’ decision to cut the DepEd’s 2025 budget by P12 billion.
“Sad to learn that both houses of Congress have decided to decrease by P12 billion the budget the President proposed for DepEd for 2025. This reverses a trend in recent years where Congress added even more to the education budget, save for one year during the pandemic,” Angara on Thursday posted on X, formerly Twitter.
The bicameral conference committee on Wednesday reduced to P737 billion, from P748.65 billion, the DepEd’s 2025 funding allocation in the reconciled version of the General Appropriations Bill (GAB).
Of the amount cut, P10 billion will be slashed from the DepEd’s computerization program, which aims to provide public schools with gadgets, equipment, software and training for teachers and students.
“Infrastructure is important, but so is investing in our people and human capital. The digital divide will widen,” Angara lamented.
“Those who do not have computers will find it hard to catch up,” he said yesterday on the sidelines of his visit to public schools in Iloilo City.
The DepEd will explore partnerships with the private sector and non-government organizations to provide technology to public schools, Angara said.
Of the P6.352-trillion national budget for 2025, P1.1 trillion will be allocated to the Department of Public Works and Highways.
“Investing in infrastructure is very important, that’s why we have increased the funds of different agencies in relation to this,” Sen. Grace Poe said in her sponsorship speech before the bicam approved the GAB’s reconciled version.
Poe pointed out that despite the budget cut, the DepEd’s 2025 budget increased from this year’s P715.3 billion.
The utilization rate of the computerization program is at 50 percent in 2023 and 11.92 percent as of June 2024, Poe said, citing the Commission on Audit report.
The DepEd budget for teaching supplies allowance has been doubled, from P4.825 billion in 2024 to P9.948 billion next year, she noted.
The Teachers’ Dignity Coalition said the budget cut will widen the digital divide among students and exacerbate the learning crisis following the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) said the budget cut was alarming.
“We’re seeing suspicious increases in presidential and congressional pork barrel and unprogrammed appropriations. These discretionary funds conveniently balloon as we approach the 2025 national elections. The timing and nature of these realignments clearly suggest political motivations rather than genuine concern for public welfare,” ACT chairman Vladimer Quetua said.
The education budget must be increased equivalent to six percent of the country’s gross domestic product, as recommended by international standards, he noted.
Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian said Congress did its best in allocating scarce resources and reconciling differing versions of the budget.
Senate President Francis Escudero did not reply to The STAR’s request for comment.
Sen. Pia Cayetano said she was disappointed by the budget cuts suffered by the Department of Health (DOH), DepEd, Commission on Higher Education and University of the Philippines.
AKAP restored
Meanwhile, the 2025 budget restoration for the Ayuda para sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKAP) has been welcomed by the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
The DSWD’s cash aid program has received a P26-billion allocation for next year.
“We are happy about this because it would mean that the implementation of social welfare services will continue, it will not be interrupted,” said DSWD Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao.
More than four million “near poor” Filipinos have benefitted from the AKAP during its first year of implementation from January to October 2024.
DOH downplays PhilHealth zero subsidy
Health benefits provided by the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) will continue with or without subsidy from the General Appropriations Act, the DOH said yesterday.
“We reviewed the financial statements of PhilHealth together with its established performance and the DOH is confident that it has enough money to continue and even improve operations,” Health Secretary Ted Herbosa said.
At the end of calendar year 2023, the state health insurer’s accumulated net income was recorded at P463.7 billion.
Following the Universal Health Care Act, PhilHealth has secured a reserve fund of P280.6 billion, good for two years’ worth of benefits and other operating expenses.
PhilHealth counted its surplus fund balance to be at least P183.1 billion at the start of 2024. — Sheila Crisostomo, Marc Jayson Cayabyab, Rhodina Villanueva