MANILA, Philippines — Key education programs were left without funding or received increases below proposed levels in the House of Representatives' version of the 2027 national budget, Akbayan Party-list Rep. Chel Diokno said Thursday.
Diokno said several amendments proposed based on recommendations from government agencies and civil society groups were not included in the House budget, which has passed on second reading.
The Last Mile Schools Program, which provides facilities and other resources to schools in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas, again received no allocation, according to Diokno. Proposed increases for the School-Based Feeding Program, Learner Support Programs and Support to Operations were also not granted.
“It is deeply concerning that despite the clear and urgent need, programs directly focused on education continue to receive insufficient funding. Investing in education is not merely a budgetary priority but an investment in our people and the country’s long-term progress,” Diokno said.
Some programs received additional funding, but these fell short of the increases proposed, he said.
The Department of Education’s Special Needs Education Program received an additional P75 million, compared with a proposed P541.57 million increase. The Madrasah Education Program got P50 million against a proposed P242.67 million increase, while the Indigenous Peoples Education Program received P25 million against a proposed P78.27 million increase.
The Commission on Higher Education’s Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education program received P2.10 billion instead of the proposed P14.11 billion increase, Diokno said.
Diokno also said the education budget did not increase in the House version, which he linked to the country’s continuing learning crisis.
Separately, the Department of Justice’s National Coordination Center against Online Sexual Abuse or Exploitation of Children and Anti-Child Sexual Abuse or Exploitation Materials received P10 million against a proposed P65.90 million increase.
“I urge my fellow lawmakers to allocate sufficient resources where the need is greatest and where they can have the greatest impact on the lives of the Filipino learners,” Diokno said.
“We must put those who are most vulnerable first in the 2027 budget. When we fail to provide adequate resources for these programs, we deepen the inequalities that already prevent many of our people from reaching their full potential,” he added.
