DepEd chief, teachers decry P12 billion budget cut

MANILA, Philippines — Department of Education Secretary Sonny Angara and teachers’ groups have decried Congress’ decision to cut the DepEd’s 2025 budget by P12 billion.

“Sad to learn that both houses of Congress have decided to decrease by P12 billion the budget the President proposed for DepEd for 2025. This reverses a trend in recent years where Congress added even more to the education budget, save for one year during the pandemic,” Angara on Thursday posted on X, formerly Twitter.

The bicameral conference committee on Wednesday reduced to P737 billion, from P748.65 billion, the DepEd’s 2025 funding allocation in the reconciled version of the General Appropriations Bill (GAB).

Of the amount cut, P10 billion will be slashed from the DepEd’s computerization program, which aims to provide public schools with gadgets, equipment, software and training for teachers and students.

“Infrastructure is important, but so is investing in our people and human capital. The digital divide will widen,” Angara lamented.

“Those who do not have computers will find it hard to catch up,” he said yesterday on the sidelines of his visit to public schools in Iloilo City.

The DepEd will explore partnerships with the private sector and non-government organizations to provide technology to public schools, Angara said.

Of the P6.352-trillion national budget for 2025, P1.1 trillion will be allocated to the Department of Public Works and Highways.

“Investing in infrastructure is very important, that’s why we have increased the funds of different agencies in relation to this,” Sen. Grace Poe said in her sponsorship speech before the bicam approved the GAB’s reconciled version.

Poe pointed out that despite the budget cut, the DepEd’s 2025 budget increased from this year’s P715.3 billion.

The utilization rate of the computerization program is at 50 percent in 2023 and 11.92 percent as of June 2024, Poe said, citing the Commission on Audit report.

The DepEd budget for teaching supplies allowance has been doubled, from P4.825 billion in 2024 to P9.948 billion next year, she noted.

The Teachers’ Dignity Coalition said the budget cut will widen the digital divide among students and exacerbate the