DBM: Education gets 15.4% of proposed P6.352-T 2025 budget

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has earmarked nearly P1 trillion or 15.4% of the proposed P6.352-trillion national budget for fiscal year (FY) 2025 for the education sector.

In a statement on Thursday, Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said this allotment in next year's National Expenditure Program (NEP) was made as education continues to be the Marcos administration's top priority.

"As mandated by the Constitution, the Education Sector [composed of the Department of Education, State Universities and Colleges, Commission on Higher Education and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority] will remain as top priority with a total budget of P977.6 billion," Pangandaman said.

"This proposed budget is higher than the sector's P968.9 billion allocation in the 2024 General Appropriations Act (GAA)," she added.

The Budget chief said the allocation will support programs of the Department of Education (DepEd), including the MATATAG Agenda for Basic Education.

Higher allocations will also be provided for other vital education programs, such as the School-Based Feeding Program.

Meanwhile, access to quality education will also be at the forefront of the government's education agenda through the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education and the Education Assistance and Subsidies, according to Pangandaman.

Ayuda budget

As part of its social services initiatives, the Marcos administration is allocating P254.378 billion for cash assistance or "ayuda" to provide financial support to vulnerable sectors of society in the proposed 2025 NEP.

While constituting only a small portion of the total government spending, Pangandaman said this allocation aligns with the objectives set in the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2023-2028, which focuses on implementing economic and social transformations, including the strengthening of every Filipino's capabilities by reducing their vulnerabilities and safeguarding their purchasing power.

The government's budget for "ayuda" covers financial assistance programs being implemented by the Department of Agriculture (DA), including the Rice Farmers Assistance program and Fuel Assistance to Farmers and Fisherfolk; Department of Health's (DOH) Cancer Assistance Fund, Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients (MAIP); Department of Labor and Employment's (DOLE) Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged Workers (TUPAD) Program; and other social protection programs of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), such as Ayuda sa Kapos Ang Kita Program, Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), Protective Services for Individuals and Families in Difficult Circumstances, Social Pension for Indigent Senior Citizens, and granting of additional benefits to Filipino centenarians.

Cash aid initiatives also include funding for the implementation of fuel subsidy for the transport sector by the Department of Transportation.

"The budget allocation will ensure the continuous implementation of the abovementioned programs and other initiatives including the Philippine Food Stamp, one of the priority programs of the administration of President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' R. Marcos Jr.," Pangandaman said. — VDV, GMA Integrated News