MANILA – Senator Bam Aquino said Tuesday that the approved PHP1.38 trillion allocation for the Department of Education (DepEd) for 2026 would solve the classroom backlog and boost student nutrition.
In its version of the 2026 national budget, the Senate allotted almost PHP70 billion in additional funding for education.
Funding for classroom construction was raised from PHP13.2 billion in the National Expenditure Program (NEP) to PHP65.9 billion, a PHP52.7 billion increase.
Meanwhile, the Senate is pushing to increase the school-based feeding program budget from PHP11.7 billion to PHP28.6 billion, a jump of PHP16.9 billion.
Aquino said the Senate version of the budget builds a strong case for addressing the backlog, which needs about PHP540 billion to fully resolve.
At present, the country has a backlog of 165,000 classrooms, which could grow to more than 200,000 within three years if left unaddressed.
Aquino said the budget for classroom construction would be implemented through multiple modalities, including those under the Classroom-Building Acceleration Program (CAP) Act, which allows DepEd to partner with local government units and civil society organizations in constructing or leasing classrooms, and pursuing Public-Private Partnerships (PPP).
He also urged DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara to set a price cap for classroom construction, including those undertaken by the Department of Public Works and Highways and PPP implementers.
“At the price of less than PHP2 million (per classroom), we go from 23,000 to 32,000 (classrooms). If we’re able to address the disparity, mas marami rin tayong magagawa (We can construct more),” he said.
On student nutrition, Aquino said the higher appropriation would allow the school-based feeding program to expand from 120 to 200 feeding days.
“Lahat ng Kinder, lahat ng Grade 1, mayroon tayong pagkain para sa kanila for 200 days (All Kinder, all Grade 1 students, we can provide them food for 200 days),” he said.
For Grades 2 to 6 students, the program will target “wasted and severely wasted” learners.
The expanded feeding program will benefit an estimated 3.5 million students, he said. (PNA)