SENATOR Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV on Tuesday described the ratified 2026 national budget as a major victory for Philippine education and young people, citing the record P1.35-trillion allocation as the largest education funding package in the country’s history.
Voting in favor of the budget, the Aquino said the unprecedented level of funding for the education sector was designed to translate into tangible support for learners nationwide, particularly those from low-income families and underserved communities.
“More students will benefit from additional classrooms and free meals, as well as increased funding for free college education and financial assistance for the RLE of nursing and health science students,” said Aquino, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Basic Education.
The P1.35-trillion education budget, according to him, represents a sharp increase from nearly P1 trillion in 2025 and includes P67 billion for the implementation of Republic Act No. 10931, also known as the Free College Law, that Aquino authored.
