The Department of Education (DepEd) successfully defended its proposed fiscal year 2026 budget before the House Committee on Appropriations on Wednesday.

Education Secretary Sonny Angara expressed gratitude for lawmakers’ support, calling the proposed increase the “most significant in recent years.”

“We thank the committee and the members for giving us the time to present our programs and proposals. In the Department, we hold on to a simple truth — that those who have less in life should have more in education,” Angara said.

Under the National Expenditures Program, DepEd is seeking P928.52 billion for 2026, an 18.9 percent jump from the 2025 General Appropriations Act.

Committee on Appropriations Vice Chairperson and DepEd budget sponsor Rep. Maria Carmen Zamora said the expanded allocation aims to directly confront long-standing challenges in the education sector.

“This expanded budget is designed to strengthen and grow the teaching workforce, enhance learning integration, and combat child stunting, ensuring that learners receive adequate nutrition to support their physical and mental development. It also aims to close resource and infrastructure gaps in schools,” Zamora said.

Sultan Kudarat 2nd District Rep. Bella Vanessa Suansing lauded Angara’s leadership, particularly in harnessing technology to bridge education gaps.

"We have to address gaps immediately and our good Secretary has been working extremely hard to address those gaps… It’s really hard to find people in government who are willing to go beyond their mandate and we have that in the Department of Education,” Suansing said.

Zamboanga del Norte 2nd District Rep. Irene Labadlabad urged colleagues to prioritize education above other agencies despite fiscal constraints.

“I know we’re working with the tight fiscal space but we can do our best to urge this body to increase the budget for DepEd,” she said.

Committee Chairperson Rep. Mikaela Angela Suansing reaffirmed the chamber’s backing for the administration’s education agenda.

“As the President said, we want this budget to be an education budget. So I will take the words of Sec. Angara, who was also a brilliant chair of the Senate Finance Committee, if we are able to find ample fiscal space, we commit to prioritize funding for education,” she said.

Angara thanked lawmakers for their support, citing DepEd’s efforts to improve fund utilization. He noted that out of the 56 percent of unused budget last year, 43.2 percent has already been appropriated in 2025.

He also presented the Department’s priority programs, including the hiring of more teachers and administrative staff, teacher benefits, the School-Based Feeding Program, and procurement of learning materials.

Despite gains, DepEd acknowledged persistent classroom shortages and the digital divide. Angara vowed to continue pursuing creative solutions to close these gaps.