The reduced budget underscores a crucial challenge for DepEd: addressing inefficiencies while advocating for greater investment in a future-ready education system.
In a recent development, the bicameral conference committee of the House of Representatives and the Senate reduced the Department of Education (DepEd) budget for 2025 from PHP 748.65 billion to PHP 737 billion, with a PHP 10 billion cut to Computerization Program. This program was intended to provide public schools with gadgets, equipment, software, and training crucial for improving digital literacy among Filipino students and teachers.
Senator Sonny Angara who was appointed as the Secretary of the Department of Education (DepEd) on July 2, 2024, by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Following the resignation of Vice President Sara Duterte from the role, Angara expressed disappointment, stating that the budget cut delays the modernization of public education, especially as technology becomes essential in classrooms.
Without adequate funding, the technology gap between public and private schools is expected to widen, leaving public school students at a disadvantage in an increasingly tech-driven world. The cut also risks hampering the delivery of education in remote areas, where many schools already lack basic resources like internet access and electricity.
The budget reduction for the Department of Education (DepEd) may have stemmed from ongoing criticisms within the department. In 2023, DepEd received PHP 11 billion for its Computerization Program, with only PHP 2.75 billion spent. This delay in utilizing the allocated funds has raised concerns that the failure to deliver promised digital resources undermines the program’s objectives, particularly as technology becomes increasingly essential in modern classrooms.
Additionally, questions have been raised about the prioritization of spending within DepEd. Critics have pointed out the efficient use of confidential funds, which seem to have been allocated more swiftly, in stark contrast to the sluggish implementation of critical education programs like computerization.
These concerns have contributed to the perception that DepEd’s budget management needs urgent reforms to ensure that funds are spent effectively and in line with the country’s educational goals.
The reduced budget underscores a crucial challenge for DepEd: addressing inefficiencies while advocating for greater investment in a future-ready education system.
Without immediate action, the vision for digitally empowered classrooms may remain a distant goal.
