The Senate has approved on third and final reading its version of the 2026 national budget, the first to meet the United Nations benchmark on education spending.
According to Senator Win Gatchalian, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, the Senate version of the 2026 national budget allocates P1.37 trillion to the education sector, the equivalent of 4.5% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
“The Senate version of the 2026 national budget allocates P1.37 trillion to the education sector, the equivalent of 4.5% of Gross Domestic Product.”
This meets the 4 to 6% benchmark of UNESCO on education spending.
“Titiyakin natin na mabibigyang prayoridad ang mga mahahalagang programa upang mapalawak ang access sa edukasyon at mapatatag ang pundasyon ng mga kabataan,” Gatchalian said.
The veteran legislator highlighted improvements in the budget of education.
For one, the Senate added P19.2 billion to the allocation set in the General Appropriations Bill (GAB), or House Bill No. 4058, to construct more than 24,000 new classrooms.
The Department of Education’s School-Based Feeding Program will receive P28.6 billion to cover 200 school days and benefit 4.8 million learners.
The program will cover all Kindergarten and Grade1 learners, while continuing support for wasted and severely wasted learners from Grades 2 to 6.
State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) will receive P139.03 billion, P7.35 billion more than what was allocated in the GAB, to expand their carrying capacity.
“At least 168,000 qualified students were denied admission because SUCs lacked sufficient capacity.”
The seasoned lawmaker previously flagged that at least 168,000 qualified students were denied admission because SUCs lacked sufficient capacity.
The senator also emphasized the P1 billion allocation under the Local Government Support Fund to convert over 3,000 daycare centers into Child Development Centers (CDCs) in 4th and 5th class municipalities, along with the creation of 150 plantilla positions for Child Development Workers.
