House panel OKs over P8B in education budget amendments for 2027

MANILA, Philippines — The Budget Amendments Review Subcommittee (BARSc) of the House of Representatives on Thursday approved an additional over P8 billion in amendments to the funding of the education sector for 2027. 

The BARSc began its deliberations on the proposed amendments to the P7.2-trillion House budget bill on Thursday. The subcommittee, composed of select lawmakers from major political parties and the minority bloc, is tasked to discuss amendments expected to be introduced by lawmakers before being voted on the floor for second reading. 

READ: DepEd thanks House for approving P975.96-B budget for 2027

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House committee on appropriations chairperson Rep. Mikaela Suansing introduced P1,952,000,000 worth of amendments to six line items under the Department of Education (DepEd). The agency received over P916 billion allocation under the 2027 National Expenditure Program (NEP). 

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The biggest chunk of the amount was allotted to the additional budget for the basic education facilities program worth P952 million. Suansing said that as this will fund additional classrooms, the House of Representatives will exercise its oversight functions to ensure that the construction of classrooms will not be delayed. 

Suansing also presented P500 million worth of additional allocation for DepEd’s school safety and security program. She noted that Education Secretary Sonny Angara requested P800 million in funding as it was not allocated any funding under the 2027 NEP amid the growing concerns of school violence across the country. 

The chairperson then proposed for P350 million funding for DepEd’s Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) program, noting that the initiative got no funding under the 2027 NEP.

She also proposed additional funding for the Special Needs Education Program, Indigenous People Education Program, and the Madrasah Education Program worth P75 million, P25 million, and P50 million, respectively. 

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READ: Group urges lawmakers to reverse cuts to DepEd’s 2027 budget

Meanwhile, the Tertiary Education Subsidy and Tulong Dunong Program under the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) received P3,868,865,000 in amendments as proposed by Senior Deputy Speaker Ferdinand Hernandez.

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Hernandez proposed P2,102,475,000 and P1,766,390,000 for the Tertiary Education Subsidy and Tulong Dunong Program, respectively. He noted that the Tulong Dunong Program received no funding under the 2027 NEP. 

The committee also approved P360 million worth of amendments under three line items to the budget of the University of the Philippines System. 

Deputy Speaker Janette Garin proposed the allocation of P70 million for the UP Center for Education and Development in its Diliman campus, noting that it received no allocation under the 2027 NEP. 

FPJ Panday Bayanihan party-list Rep. Brian Poe then introduced the allocation of an additional P250 million for the funding of Project NOAH (Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards). Project NOAH which was defunded in 2017, was the country’s flagship disaster risk reduction and management program.

Poe also presented the allocation of P15 million for the UP Diliman Institute of Mathematics, as he shared that it got no funding under the 2027 NEP. It has been recognized by the CHEd as a Center of Excellence since 1998. 

Samar Rep. Stephen James Tan also proposed the inclusion of P456,000,000 for the locally funded projects of various state universities across the country.

Lastly, Ilocos Sur Rep. Kristine Singson-Meehan introduced P1,435,910,000 worth of amendments to two line items under the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority. Training for Work Scholarship and Special Training for Employment Program received P966,650,000 and P469,260,000, respectively. 

All motions made for the amendments of these items received no objections from the members of the subcommittee. 

With a total of P8,072,775,000 amended allocation proposed for the education cluster, Suansing underscored the national government’s responsibility to provide sufficient funding to sustain programs under the sector. 

“We have repeatedly said, on the part of the House of Representatives, to make sure that the education cluster gets the biggest budgetary share in our budget,” Suansing said. 

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The Article XIV, Section 5(5) of the 1987 Constitution mandates the government to give the highest budgetary priority to the education sector and ensure that teachers will receive sufficient remuneration and other means of job satisfaction. /das