Aquino pushes for bigger education budget in 2026

Jea Nicole Jacot 

After education was declared a top priority in the 2025 State of the Nation Address (SONA), Senator Bam Aquino urged that the 2026 national education budget be increased to at least four percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).

Aquino, who now chairs the Senate Committee on Basic Education, believes that increased budget allocation, paired with government transparency, will fix the issues that have long been plaguing the education system.

“If we’re able to consistently fund education at anywhere from four to six percent of GDP, yung gains ng ating bansa napakalaki,” he said in an interview with ANC, where he reiterated his points during the third regular session of the Senate on July 30.

Malacañang has recently proposed a Php 6.793 trillion national budget for the upcoming year.

Aquino has outlined a six-month timeline for education reforms, with hearings to be conducted in preparation for a “big push” for the budget by the fourth quarter of 2026.

Infrastructure disparities

In an effort to fix the country’s 165,000 classroom gap, Aquino has filed the Classroom-Building Acceleration Program (CAP) Act, which invites collaboration between local government units (LGUs), non-governmental organizations (NGO), and other private entities in building classrooms.

In the interview, he noted that public school classrooms constructed by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) cost Php 2.5 million, while those built by NGOs cost only Php 1 million.

 “Ba’t magkaiba ang presyo ng mga classrooms sa  gobyerno sa mga classrooms private sector, ng mga LGU?” he questioned.

He said he expects government officials to explain the gap at a hearing with the Senate Committee on Basic Education next week.

Flood control budget probe

Citing concerns on funding inconsistencies, Aquino said that a portion of the government flood control budget could have been enough to repair classroom infrastructure.

He pointed out that the Php 350 billion 2025 budget for the said flood control projects is twice the Php 165 billion needed to fix the classroom shortage.

“So kung ‘yung flood control budget, babawasan, iimbestigahan. Let’s assume na liliit iyon kasi malilinis ‘yung mga kontrata diyan. ‘Yung perang iyon for me ilagay natin sa edukasyon,” he said. 

The proposed 2026 flood control budget has been cut by nearly Php 72 billion, from this year’s Php 346.6 billion to Php 274.9 billion.

Aquino’s decision to join the majority bloc along with his colleague Senator Francis Pangilinan, who is now chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, was initially met with mixed reactions.

He clarified that he intended to head the education committee and push forward his reform agenda in the sector.

“The national political alignments have not changed […] There’s no political color to classrooms, textbooks, or food for all. It’s for all Filipinos. Kailangan may espasyo kung saan lahat tayo ay magtulungan,” he said.