President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has assured the Department of Education (DepEd) that he will find a solution to the recent P12-billion cut to its proposed 2025 budget. Education Secretary Sonny Angara disclosed this on Sunday, expressing concern over the impact of the budget reduction on key programs like the DepEd’s computerization initiative.
The bicameral conference committee recently slashed DepEd’s budget to P737 billion from the original P748.65 billion proposed in the General Appropriations Bill. Of the reduced amount, P10 billion was taken from the computerization program, which aims to equip public schools with essential digital tools and training.
Angara criticized lawmakers for deviating from the usual practice of increasing the education budget and lamented the potential disruption to digital learning initiatives. “The President himself assured us that he will address this,” Angara said in a One News report, highlighting Marcos’ commitment to bridging the digital divide as mentioned in his State of the Nation Address.
Public school teachers and education advocates have voiced their disapproval, calling the cuts contradictory to the government’s stated priority of resolving the learning crisis. The Teachers’ Dignity Coalition (TDC) emphasized that reducing funds for digital education exacerbates inequality and undermines efforts to prepare students for a technology-driven world.
Lawmakers such as ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro also criticized the cuts, labeling them as anti-education and anti-poor. Castro urged the administration to restore the budget and strengthen accountability instead of penalizing the education sector for past controversies involving former DepEd leadership.
Meanwhile, Makati Rep. Luis Campos Jr. welcomed President Marcos’ directive to increase the Service Recognition Incentive (SRI) for public school teachers and non-teaching staff from P18,000 to P20,000. Campos said the increase could be funded through the Miscellaneous Personnel Benefits Fund in the 2024 budget.
Education stakeholders are now urging Congress to prioritize education funding and reinstate the budget necessary for programs that ensure equitable access to learning resources.
