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GMA Network
3 days ago
- Business
- GMA Network
Marcos: Education sector gets lion share of proposed 2026 budget
The education sector gets the biggest allocation in the proposed 2026 national budget with P1.224 trillion. In his budget message, President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. emphasized that this fulfills the Constitutional mandate to assign the highest budgetary priority to the education sector. According to Marcos, this notably meets the recommended education spending of the UNESCO Education 2030 Framework for Action of allocating 4.0 to 6.0% of Gross Domestic Product to education as the Philippines adopts a whole-of-government approach in investing in our learners to include the education expenditures of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, which may be sourced from their Annual Block Grant and own sources of revenues, and the Special Education Fund of local governments. Marcos said the National Government education spending would also meet the UNESCO-recommended 15.0 to 20.0 percent of total public expenditure, in line with the administration's strong commitment to implementing a child-responsive budget and nurturing future-ready generations. Allocations The budget allocation of the sector includes the P928.5 billion for the Department of Education (DepEd), which is an 18.7% increase from the P782.2 billion allocation in the FY 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA). Meanwhile, P134.9 billion was allotted for State Universities and Colleges, a 6.1% increase from the P127.2 billion allocation in the FY 2025 GAA. On the other hand, P33.9 billion was allocated for the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and P20.2 billion was given to the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). Marcos also said his administration had increased the allocation for Teaching Allowance by 3.2% — from P9.9 billion under the FY 2025 GAA to P10.3 billion for FY 2026. This seeks to meet the doubled allowance of P10,000 per public school teacher, effective School Year (SY) 2025-2026, according to the Chief Executive. 'Future-ready generations' As stated in his message, Marcos believed that the country is on track with its Agenda for Prosperity and ''poised to be a leader among nations, especially in the Asia Pacific region.'' "However, while we have recovered from the pandemic, we recognize that there is still much to rebuild, and there is still much that can be achieved. We must not lose sight of our collective responsibility to ensure a brighter future for our people, especially the next generations,'' Marcos said. ''Hence, I urge the honorable members of Congress to swiftly enact this budget. Let us work together to realize the full potential of our nation, nurture future-ready generations and fulfill our dream of a Bagong Pilipinas,'' he added. —VAL, GMA Integrated News
Business Recorder
21-06-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Lack of commitment to education
EDITORIAL: In a glaring indication of the low priority our policymakers assign to education, the total expenditure by federal and provincial governments to the sector was a mere 0.8 percent of the GDP in FY2024-25, reveals the Economic Survey of Pakistan. Instead of improving, the figure has been falling from year to year since 2018-19 when it was 2.0. To put this issue in perspective, the countries that are on course to sustainable development allocate much higher amounts to education. India, for instance, spends around 3.1 percent of its GDP on education, and Bangladesh 2 percent. Compared to Pakistan many African countries also spend a lot more. And the UNESCO recommends that countries allocate 4 to 6 percent of their GDP. As per its Education 2030 Framework for Action, this is a key benchmark for assessing a government's commitment to education funding. As a result of Pakistan's minuscule allocations to education — the building block of socioeconomic progress and prosperity — an estimated 22.8 million children are out-of-school, deprived of the opportunities to realise their full potential and contribute to society. The officially claimed literacy rate is 60.6 percent, which is misleading since it includes anyone barely able to write his/her own name. Unfortunately, successive governments have neglected the constitutional provision that calls for free and compulsory education for all children five to 16 years of age. The situation is particularly dire in rural areas, where in many cases schools lack basic facilities, like toilets, drinking water and electricity, which act as a disincentive for young people, especially girls, to go to school. Another overlooked but critical issue is curriculum. Due to a general retrogressive trend in society there is little room for reforming content of what is taught as well as new teaching methodologies that are reflective of the country's changing needs. In an age when technological advancements are transforming the job market our education system largely remains focused on rote learning rather than fostering creativity and problem-solving essential to generate innovative solutions to challenges. Our policymakers need to realise that investing in education is not a luxury; it is a necessity and a human right that must be accessible to all, irrespective of who they are and where they are. Education must get the priority it deserves for Pakistan to realise the full potential of its population. It is also a great equalizer. The governments at the centre and in the provinces must allocate a decent percentage of the GDP to this sector so young people acquire knowledge and skills needed for human development, and necessary to increase productivity and economic growth. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
