The Department of Education (DepEd) hailed the Senate’s endorsement of P85.41 billion in Basic Education Facilities funding for 2026.

Education Secretary Sonny Angara said the higher allocation reflects confidence in the reforms underway to accelerate procurement, strengthen partnerships, and broaden construction modalities, as the amount marks a dramatic jump from P28.06 billion. He said this signals clear support for the administration’s education agenda.

“The message is clear that the government is willing to invest in the youth. As long as there is funding and reform, we can build schools faster,” Angara said.

A key element of the Senate’s backing lies in giving the Department of Education more flexibility. Lawmakers endorsed the use of multiple modalities—local government unit partnerships, civil society organization participation, leasing of classrooms, public-private partnership models, and selective Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) implementation. Senators raised the urgency of confronting the classroom gap, described during the hearing as a “bucket we keep filling but one that also keeps leaking,” due to condemned rooms, disaster damage, and yearly increases in enrollment.

Senate Committee on Basic Education chair Bam Aquino and Senate Finance Committee chair Sen. Win Gatchalian both underscored that the Department of Education could now test which modality works best every year and scale up those that deliver the quickest and most cost-effective results.

Sen. Gatchalian also clarified that the Department of Education’s budget utilization no longer includes school-building projects handled by the Department of Public Works and Highways, which previously distorted assessments of the department’s performance. He credited the department for improving systems long plagued by delays, especially procurement bottlenecks affecting textbooks, furniture, and vouchers.

Funding for classroom construction, replacement, technical-vocational laboratories, and water sanitation facilities surged to P65.98 billion, supporting 24,527 new classrooms with school furniture, far above the National Expenditure Program’s 4,869. The target is set to benefit around 1 million learners nationwide.

Repair and rehabilitation funding increased to P7.73 billion, enabling the restoration of 11,886 classrooms. Allocation for school furniture buffer or replacement also rose to P3.69 billion, providing 25,451 sets. Funding for leasing of properties and completion of unfinished classrooms was also secured.

Other components likewise strengthen the learning environment and expand inclusive education. The P1-billion Library Hubs program will deliver 72 hubs nationwide, a marked increase in reach. Special Needs Education will scale up its Inclusive Learning Resource Centers to 16 sites. Medium-Rise School Buildings also had P2 billion supporting the completion of three multi-storey facilities designed for dense and fast-growing school communities.

“What the Senate approved gives us room to build faster, repair smarter, and deliver better,” Angara said. “Kung sabay-sabay tayong kikilos—pamahalaan, LGUs, komunidad—mas mapapabilis ang pagbabago sa ating mga paaralan.”

(“If we move together—the government, LGUs, and the community—changes in our schools will happen faster.”)