Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 30) — The proposed 2024 budget for the Department of Education (DepEd) under next year’s National Expenditure Program is “not enough” for the needed programs to improve basic education in the country, Vice President Sara Duterte said Wednesday.
The proposed budget for the DepEd next year is ₱758.59 billion, a 5% increase from the over ₱721 billion under the 2023 General Appropriations Act (GAA). This was presented to the committee on appropriations of the House of Representatives.
The 1987 Constitution provides that \”the State shall assign the highest budgetary priority to education.\”
\”In the NEP, what is proposed for the Department of Education is an increase of only 5.28% compared to the current level,\” Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman said in his interpellation. \”I surmise that this is not adequate to respond to the priority projects and programs of the Department of Education.\”
\”Yes,\” said Duterte, who is the concurrent education secretary. \” There is not enough budget to address all the projects and programs that the Department of Education wants to implement to improve basic education in our country.\”
When asked what should be the adequate appropriation for the DepEd, Duterte said the agency originally requested approximately ₱900 billion as its budget for fiscal year 2024.
“Of course, we are there with the traditional ‘build more classrooms and hire more teachers’ track that has been the solution of all previous administrations and previous secretaries,” the DepEd chief said. “But right now, we are pursuing another track as well, that is learning from the lessons of the pandemic where we want to institutionalize the blended learning program.”
The institutionalization of blended learning, according to Duterte, intends to address the congestion in classrooms, the lack of classrooms, and the shortage of teachers, as DepEd eyes leveraging technology and using asynchronous and synchronous deliveries of teaching.
Learners returned to school on Tuesday. As of 9 a.m. Wednesday, Duterte told lawmakers enrollment for school year 2023 to 2024 was at 24,054,404 from Kinder to Grade 11. Of the number, around 20 million learners recorded were from public schools.
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How about withdrawing confidential funds?
As Duterte admitted that the proposed expenditure program for DepEd is insufficient, Lagman asked if the vice president is open to withdrawing their request for the agency’s confidential funds.
Duterte is seeking ₱150 million for confidential funds of the DepEd.
\”Considering the universe of shortages in the Department of Education which would need adequate funding, Madam Secretary, would you voluntarily withdraw your request for confidential funds in the DepEd?\” Lagman asked.
Duterte replied: “There is a purpose and a need for confidential funds in the Department of Education because basic education is intertwined with national security. But of course, as we always say, we leave it to the discretion of the members of the House of Representatives and the Senate the wisdom of granting confidential funds to the Department of Education.”
In his interpellation, Kabataan Party-list Rep. Raoul Manuel claimed the DepEd could not show a “good performance” on its efforts for anti-child grooming and anti-abuse — some of the programs said to be funded by confidential funds.
\”Parang ang dating sa akin nag-iimbento tayo ng dahilan to justify confidential funds [It looks like to me they are inventing reasons to justify the allocation of confidential funds],\” he said.
He also said confidential funds have a higher allocation than the DepEd’s mental health programs, which would only have ₱116 million next year.
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Assistant Secretary Dexter Galban said the fund will be for the mental health program and improvement of guidance counseling programs, intertwined with DepEd’s programs for substance abuse prevention and adolescent reproductive health, among other youth programs.
DepEd’s universe of shortages
Lawmakers tried to pinpoint the shortages the agency needs to address. Here are some of the answers:
– Undersecretary Michael Poa said the country lacks 165,000 classrooms, according to the National School Building Inventory.
– Undersecretary Gloria Jumamil-Mercado said there is a shortage of 89,000 teachers in the primary and secondary levels.
– Undersecretary Epimaco Densing III said it would need around ₱131 billion to complete the major repairs in school buildings nationwide, while they may seek an increase in the allocation for Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses of identified schools needing minor repairs.
