Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Juan Edgardo Angara expressed his disappointment over the P12-billion cut in the agency’s proposed budget based on the final version of the 2025 General Appropriations Bill (GAB).
DepEd was initially allocated P748.6 billion, but it was lowered to P737 billion in the reconciled GAB following the recently concluded Bicameral Conference Committee of lawmakers in the Senate and House of Representatives.
In a social media post late Thursday, Angara said he was “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 adds even more to the education budget, (save for one year during the pandemic),” the DepEd chief added.
Angara noted that the decreased funding would affect the computerization program of DepEd. He said P12-billion could have funded thousands of computers and electronic gadgets for students in public schools, which might result in learning losses and wider digital gaps.
“Infrastructure is important but so is investing in our people and human capital. The digital divide will widen,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) received a budget increase of nearly P289 billion, bringing its total allocation to P1.1 trillion.
