Angara expects Marcos to address DepEd budget cuts

Education Secretary Sonny Angara expressed optimism on Sunday that President Ferdinand  "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. would address the P12-billion reduction in the  Department of Education's (DepEd's) 2025 budget.

In an Instagram post, Angara emphasized the importance of prioritizing education funding.

“In past years, Congress has increased the President’s proposed budget for  DepEd and education. For whatever reason, nakakalungkot na hindi ito mauulit sa 2025 budget,” he said.

(In past years, Congress increased the President’s proposed budget for  DepEd and education. Sadly, this will not happen for the 2025 budget.)

“Budgeting is really about priorities  and education is too important to not be a funding priority. Pero ang  maganda dito, mismong si President Bongbong ang nagsabi sa amin na  reremedyohan niya ito,” he added.

(Budgeting is about priorities, and education is too important not to be one. The good thing is that  President Marcos himself assured us he would find a way to resolve this.)

Last week, the bicameral conference committee approved the P6.352-trillion 2025 General Appropriations Bill (GAB),  which included cuts of P12 billion from DepEd and P30 billion from the  Commission on Higher Education (CHED).

Angara lamented that  P10 billion of the DepEd cut was originally allocated for its computerization program, which aims to modernize the learning process and bridge the digital divide.

Salary increases

While the 2025 DepEd budget is higher than in 2024, Angara noted that the increase falls short of addressing personnel needs, such as hiring new teachers and implementing salary adjustments under the Salary  Standardization Law.

“Tapos ‘yung sinasabi na tumaas pa  din ang agency budget vs last year– kulang pa para sa personnel services lang ‘yung pag hire ng bagong teachers and personnel (na cinut din ng  1.5B) para ma-meet ang desired ratios and personnel goals at para sa SSL (Salary Standardization Law) increases,” he explained.

(They’re saying the budget increased compared to last year, but it’s still not enough for personnel services. And funding for new hires was reduced by P1.5 billion.)

Senator Grace Poe, chairperson of the Senate Finance Committee, clarified that despite the cuts, the overall DepEd budget in 2025 remains higher than in 2024.

Poe also reiterated the Senate's commitment to supporting education by prioritizing human resources.

“We doubled the teaching supplies allowance from P4.825 billion in 2024 to P9.948 billion in  2025,” said the senator. “Teachers and students are the heart of the education  sector—not computers.”

She also cited a Commission on Audit  (COA) report that only 50% of the 2023 Computerization Program budget was utilized, citing procurement delays as a systemic issue that must be addressed before allocating additional funds.

President Marcos is expected to sign the 2025 national budget on December 20,  according to Presidential Communications Office Acting Secretary Cesar  Chavez. — DVM, GMA Integrated News