This is still about the basic education report of Vice President and Department of Education Secretary Sara Duterte-Carpio, and, above all, this is about the question now being asked by the parents of over 28 million learners studying in public schools all over the Philippines.

"How much did Congress provide for our children's basic education?"

Shortly after she assumed office up to the end of 2022, Sara went around to see the conditions of the school infrastructure throughout the country, especially in areas stricken by storms and other natural calamities. And the following was what she said she found out:

"The lack of school infrastructure and resources to support the ideal teaching process is the most pressing issue besetting Philippine basic education. The department is not blind to the reality that there is a need to build, repair, and maintain school infrastructure to accommodate the growing number of learners all over the Philippines.

"Today, there are over 28 million Filipino learners studying in public schools all over the Philippines. Our latest inventory shows we have 327,651 buildings in the country. Of these school buildings, only 104,536 are in good condition.

"Due to various reasons, there are 100,072 school buildings that need minor repairs, 89,252 that require major repairs, and 21,727 that are set for condemnation. Our schools are not calamity-proof. Among the significant roadblocks to our education infrastructure program are earthquakes, typhoons, landslides, flooding, and even armed conflicts.

"In the Visayas alone, a total of 17,263 classrooms damaged by super typhoon "Odette" are still subject for repair and replacement. Last year in July, I personally visited Clarin National High School in Bohol, and in August Triana Elementary School on Limasawa Island in Southern Leyte. The destruction left by super typhoon "Odette" at these schools was heartbreaking, raising the urgency for appropriate action and immediate remedial measures."

Considering the condition of the school infrastructure and resources throughout the country, the Filipino taxpayers are now asking: How much did Congress provide for DepEd for 2024?

DepEd asked for a P953-million budget for 2024. The Senate Committee on Finance approved only P758.6 million, including P150 million in confidential funds, which the minority senators reviewed during the hearing.

Senate Minority Leader Koko Pimentel asked the DepEd if it could live without a confidential fund and realign it instead to priority programs of the agency.

Pimentel said that if DepEd could live without the P150 million in confidential funds, it could utilize the amount to construct classrooms at P2.5 million each and produce 60 new classrooms. Education officials said an average classroom cost P2.5 million.

Undersecretary Michael Poa told the senators that the DepEd originally submitted to the Department of Budget and Management a P953-billion budget proposal for 2024.

According to the Vice President and concurrent DepEd secretary, more than the approved budget is needed to improve basic education in the Philippines.

The construction of new school buildings, funding for school furniture, and the school-based feeding program were some items that saw huge cuts in the recalibrated budget proposal.

Poa, however, reiterated that confidential funds will "make our job easier in protecting our learners, teachers, and non-teaching personnel."

Senator Risa Hontiveros pointed out that the security agencies were mandated to conduct intelligence operations even in education, not DepEd. 

Secretary Sara stood firm, saying the confidential funds were in line with the DepEd mandate to provide a safe and enabling learning environment for learners and a safe space for teaching and non-teaching personnel.