Multiply-Ed urges Senate to prioritize education budget amid corruption concerns

In line with the 2026 national budget deliberation in the Senate, youth-led coalition Multiply-Ed Philippines demands lawmakers to put the education sector first, said in a statement, Oct. 27.

The coalition has released a position paper in relation to House Bill No. 4085, or the General Appropriations Bill titled “Eduk Budget Para sa Bagets, Bawiin Mula sa Korap na Projects!”, calling on the upper chamber to increase funding for schools and to retrieve the money from the projects with anomalies.

This came after the House of Representatives passed HB No. 4085 to the Senate for deliberation.

For Fiscal Year 2026, the ₱5.7-trillion budget will fund government operations, including the education sector, which remains underfunded despite political promises, according to Multiply-Ed.

“If we truly believe that the youth are the future of the nation, this must be reflected in the national budget. Education must be treated as a non-negotiable national investment—not an afterthought buried under pork barrel and flood control projects,” Multiply-Ed stated in its position paper.

It emphasized the years of misplaced priorities, leaving schools struggling with decaying classrooms, missing textbooks, and overworked teachers.

The coalition acknowledged the “partial victories” for education based on the House version of the bill.

According to the House version, the Basic Education Facilities program increased by ₱35 billion, largely from funds realigned from the Department of Public Works and Highways’ (DPWH) flood control projects.

“We’ve long argued that classrooms should define ‘infrastructure priorities,’ and this realignment shows that push is gaining ground,” Multiply-Ed stated.

The coalition also cited other increases as “necessary” to address post-pandemic learning losses, including ₱50 million for textbooks, ₱414 million for computerization, and ₱1.8 billion for school feeding programs.

Still, it noted that the budget remains ₱1.2 billion short compared to the previous year’s funding for textbooks alone.

Multiply-Ed also noticed the lack of funding for land acquisition to expand or relocate schools in congested or disaster-prone areas, and the shortage of guidance counselors needed to implement the School-Based Mental Health Program under Republic Act No. 12080.

“Without new sites, classroom construction remains limited even with available funds. Almost one-third of schools still lack guidance counselors, limiting the reach of mental health and wellness programs,” the coalition said.

The group further flagged delays in the disbursement of ICT funds that only ₱2.075 billion of ₱11.36 billion was utilized in 2023.

It also pushes the government to allocate at least six percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to education, twice the current level of about 3% through its main budget reform proposal, called “Six Will Fix.”

“Meeting this benchmark is not optional; it is a necessary step to secure the right to quality education for every student,” Multiply-Ed asserted.

The ₱914-billion allocation for basic education under the proposed 2026 budget represents only 3.05% of nominal GDP, the coalition cited this far from the global standard recommended by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

The coalition also denounced the persistence of ₱250 billion in Unprogrammed Appropriations, describing it as “a pool of discretionary funds prone to abuse.”

“These allocations operate with minimal transparency and accountability and have historically been exploited for political maneuvering,” the group said.

Pressing both houses of Congress to open the proceedings to the public as the budget process moves to the bicameral conference committee, citing a pattern of last-minute insertions and backroom deals.

“The bicameral conference meetings must not remain shrouded in secrecy. True accountability means empowering citizens to question and influence fiscal decisions that shape their future,” the position paper indicated.