PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. assured that he will address the reduction of the 2025 budget of the Department of Education (DepEd), Education Secretary Sonny Angara said Sunday.

Last week, the bicameral conference committee approved a P737 billion budget for the DepEd, P12 billion lower than the P748 billion approved by the Senate and House of Representatives.

Angara said in a statement on Sunday that “unfortunately, Congress reduced the President’s proposed budget for the Department of Education, specifically P10 billion for computerization.”

Education Secretary Juan Edgardo Angara. PHOTO BY MIKE ALQUINTO

But the president said he would try to remedy the situation, Angara said.

Rep. Rodge Gutierrez of the 1-Rider party-list justified the P10 billion cut in the DepEd’s computerization budget.

Gutierrez said that “the Commission on Audit (COA) report revealed that in 2023, the DepEd disbursed only P2.075 billion out of its P11.36 billion budget for ICT equipment.

Investments

Angara stressed the need to invest more in the country’s education sector.

Speaking at the World Bank’s Development Dialogue and Economic Update in the Philippines, Angara highlighted the urgent need to invest more in Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) to ensure a better future for Filipino children.

“We must invest more in the early years of our people to ensure that every Filipino child born today has the chance to dream, learn, grow and contribute to the progress of our nation,” he said .

Angara said early and robust investments in human capital are essential for a forward-looking society.

“We must not fail to develop human capital from the beginning,” he said, adding that local government units (LGUs) play a vital role in implementing effective ECD programs.

Citing a January 2024 United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) report, Angara pointed out that 78 percent of Filipino toddlers are not enrolled in early learning programs, while 90 percent of children in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao do not have access to early childhood education programs.

To address these gaps, he pointed out that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has asked government agencies, including the Department of Education (DepEd), the Department of Health (DOH), and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), to work together to ensure comprehensive care for children.

For 2025, the ECCD Council received a 12 percent budget increase, with P277 million allocated to build more national child development centers.

Additionally, the ECCD program is being redesigned to ensure a smooth transition to formal schooling for Filipino children.

Senators Alan Peter Cayetano and Pia Cayetano also called for increased investment in education, highlighting its long-term impact on the nation’s development.

Alan Peter warned that the Philippines risks falling further behind its regional neighbors if education funding continues to lag.

Although Filipino students and teachers excel in international competitions, Cayetano highlighted the lack of overall financial support for the education sector.

He called for stronger partnerships between the government, private sector and LGUs to address funding challenges and better support local universities and colleges.

He also called on young people and the public to demand that the government give higher priority to education.

Meanwhile, Pia said the reduction of P11.57 billion in the DepEd, P26.91 billion in the Commission on Higher Education and P641.38 million in the University of the Philippines in the 2025 general appropriations bill is unacceptable, underscoring its impact on millions of people. Filipinos who already struggle to access quality healthcare and education.

“Health and education must always be our top priority if we want to build a stronger, more sustainable future for all. We must never compromise on our commitment to always prioritize quality healthcare and education for every Filipino,” she said.

“These cuts are a terrible step backwards,” she added.

She pledged to continue to advocate for the protection and enhancement of the resources of these vital sectors, reiterating that they constitute the foundation of a sustainable and equitable society.

WITH THE PHILIPPINE NEWS AGENCY