SENATE Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano has called for increased and more efficient education spending, saying investments made today would shape the country’s workforce and prospects in the coming years.
“It’s very important that we imagine five years, 10 years, 15 years from now, what kind of educational system we will have,” Cayetano told Education Secretary Sonny Angara when the chamber tackled the proposed DepEd budget for 2027.
Citing 2025 figures, Cayetano said DepEd had a budget of about P734 billion for 21 million students, equivalent to roughly P34,690 per student. In comparison, PSHS had a budget of P2.4 billion for nearly 11,000 students, or about P224,000 per student.
Cayetano acknowledged that PSHS students are selected through competitive examinations and are among the country’s top-performing elementary school graduates.
However, he said the disparity in per-student spending highlighted the difference in resources available to learners.
“If we can somehow get the spending closer to what we’re doing with Philippine Science High School, rather than what we’re doing with our public schools now, then we will have a better Philippines,” he said.
“It’s simple: How do we spend more but spend smarter?” the senator added.
Angara sought additional funding for DepEd, saying the department needed more resources to address gaps in classrooms, personnel and learner support.
The department requested an additional P147.93 billion for 2027 on top of its proposed budget, while the House-approved version allocated P969.79 billion to the education sector.
Angara acknowledged that securing the additional funding would be difficult. He backed the proposal to increase education spending to at least 4 percent of gross domestic product, in line with international benchmarks.
“Four percent is a good target because that is the benchmark, and it is the minimum,” he said.
Cayetano also pointed to differences in class sizes, saying PSHS classes typically have about 30 students, compared with 50 to 70 in public schools and, in some cases, as many as 100.
He raised concerns about reduced school hours, saying students need sufficient time with teachers and classmates not only for academic instruction but also for social development and other school activities.
Angara said schools were being given flexibility to adjust schedules in preparation for the expected El Niño conditions, particularly during the hottest hours of the day.
Cayetano, however, stressed that education quality should remain a key consideration in decisions on school schedules and resource allocation.
He also raised concerns about gaps in technical-vocational education, noting that about one-third of schools lacked the equipment needed for the programs they offered.
The senator also urged DepEd to strengthen efforts to bring out-of-school children back into the education system.
Angara reported that about 321,000 students had dropped out, citing domestic circumstances, financial difficulties and geographical barriers among the leading reasons.
He said enrollment had also been affected by the slow return of some students after the Covid-19 pandemic and by demographic changes.
Cayetano proposed closer coordination between DepEd and the Department of the Interior and Local Government to follow up on students who had been absent for extended periods and identify those at risk of dropping out.
He said poverty-related barriers, including the lack of school uniforms, shoes and food, could prevent children from continuing their education.
The senator also called for targeted assistance for students in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), where he cited high dropout rates and other education challenges.
Angara said DepEd included BARMM in foreign-funded programs and grants.
