Poe: 2025 budget bill prioritizes students, teachers

Amid criticisms over budget cuts to the Department of Education (DepEd) and  Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Senate Finance Committee  Chairperson Grace Poe defended the 2025 national budget, insisting that education remains a top priority.

"Working with finite resources to fund infinite needs is not an easy choice," Poe said in a statement. "But what we have reflects the careful decisions made within the constraints we face. We reiterate that the education sector remains a priority, as we have increased the budget for students and teachers."

However, Poe added that lawmakers respected President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.'s prerogative in budget allocation.

DepEd Secretary and former Senate Finance Committee Chairman Sonny Angara previously expressed disappointment over a P12-billion reduction in the  DepEd's budget for 2025, with much of the cut affecting the department’s computerization program.

Poe acknowledged the reduction but noted that DepEd's overall budget for 2025 was still higher than in 2024.

She highlighted that resources were prioritized for human capital, with the teaching supplies allowance increasing from P4.825 billion in 2024  to P9.948 billion in 2025.

“We prioritized human resources.  Ang kaguruan at mga estudyante ang puso at diwa ng sektor ng edukasyon,  hindi ang mga kompyuter,” Poe said.

(The heart of education is its teachers and students, not computers.)

Poe cited the Commission on Audit (COA) report indicating that only 50% of the 2023 Computerization Program budget was utilized due to systemic issues like procurement delays.

She stressed that these inefficiencies must be addressed before additional funding is allocated.

Article XIV of the 1987 Constitution states that  "[t]he State shall assign the highest budgetary priority to education  and ensure that teaching will attract and retain its rightful share of  the best available talents through adequate remuneration and other means of job satisfaction and fulfillment." — DVM, GMA Integrated News