PASAY CITY—Senators made a strong push to fortify the country's basic education system, urging sufficient funding for school safety, student nutrition, infrastructure, and modern technology during a Senate Finance Subcommittee B briefing on Friday, October 16, 2026. Chaired by Senator Bam Aquino, the panel rigorously reviewed the Department of Education’s (DepEd) proposed 975.96-billion pesos budget for 2027, which accounts for 13.55% of the total 7.2-trillion pesos national budget. 

Out of the proposed allocation presented by DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara, 2.562 billion pesos will be distributed among six attached agencies, including the National Museum of the Philippines (P1.56 billion) and the Teacher Education Council (P360 million), to ensure comprehensive support for learners and educators alike.

Senator Bam Aquino zeroed in on classroom building, student nutrition, and security measures. Aquino pressed DepEd on updates regarding its Classroom Acceleration Program and raised deep concern over a steep budget cut in the school-based feeding program from ₱27 billion this year down to ₱11.43 billion in 2027 despite mounting food costs and the pending passage of the Expanded National Nutrition Program Act. 

Furthermore, Senator Aquino emphasized the imperative to properly fund the recently passed Senate School Safety Act on third reading, insisting that the government must directly address children's everyday learning environment and nutrition.

Senate Finance Committee Chairperson Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito vowed to champion the restoration of slashed funds for computerization, basic education facilities, teacher development, and foreign-assisted projects. 

“We must understand what these budget changes mean on the ground, which schools and learners will be affected, which commitments can still be delivered, and where funding needs to be restored or increased,” Senator Ejercito insisted. 

Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano challenged DepEd to implement bold, transformative solutions to resolve lingering system-wide challenges. 

Senator Cayetano urged the department to think beyond conventional frameworks and address long-standing gaps in classroom shortages, K to 12 funding, and child stunting despite financial constraints. 

"If we keep doing and expecting different results, it won’t happen, but sometimes you have to have a radical change. There has to be this one thing that can be done in 2027," Cayetano declared.

Senator Erwin Tulfo on the other hand reiterated that a quality education requires secure, well-equipped classrooms and access to modern tools. 

Beyond constructing physical walls and employing educators, Tulfo stressed that public spending must translate into actionable, direct safeguards for students nationwide. 

“Every peso we allocate must translate into better classrooms, better learning conditions, and safer schools for every Filipino child,” Senator Tulfo asserted.

Looking toward technological advancements, Senator Pia Cayetano emphasized the critical need to future-proof the national education framework amidst the rapid rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI). She called on DepEd leadership to leverage AI as a powerful mechanism to elevate teaching methods, administrative planning, and supervisory work without allowing technology to consume students' daily lives. 

“I’m here to listen to how we are engaging with this new development, how we can maximize this as a tool for our teachers, and a tool for those who are working in terms of planning, the supervisors, the principals, and so on,” the lady Senator said.

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