Education sector to receive ₱1.224T 2026 nat’l budget, highest allocation in history

KZ Galvan

As mandated by the Constitution, the Philippines’ education sector shall receive the largest allocated budget in history, earmarking ₱1.224 trillion under the proposed FY 2026 national budget.

This allocation hit the four percent Gross Domestic Product (GDP) benchmark for education, the highest in the past decade after the 3.96 percent allocation in 2017.

“This landmark move is not only an investment in education—it is an investment in the future of our learners, ensuring they receive the highest quality of education possible,” Education Secretary Sonny Angara added.

This also marked the first time the Philippines complied with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) standard of at least four to six percent for education funding, after DepEd suffered a ₱12-billion budget cut in 2025.

“Nagpapasalamat tayo sa ating mahal na Pangulo dahil, sa kauna-unahang pagkakataon, compliant sa UNESCO standards ang budget ng edukasyon. Patunay ito na nasa pinakamataas na prayoridad ni PBBM ang edukasyon ng ating bansa,” Angara said.

The Department of Education will receive the largest share at ₱928.52 billion, anchored on its five-point agenda, according to the 2026 National Expenditure Program (NEP) released by the Department of Budget and Management.

Moreover, State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) will get ₱134.99 billion, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) ₱34 billion, and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) ₱20.24 billion.

For the past decade, DepEd’s average budget has been only 3.2 percent of GDP. With this increase, the department aims to strengthen its workforce, hire more teachers, and address classroom shortages.

Secretary Angara is set to defend the proposed 2026 budget in the upcoming House of Representatives deliberations.