The Department of Education (DepEd) on Monday vowed to maximize the historic education budget for the coming year after President Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos Jr. formally signed the 2026 national budget.

With a record allocation of P1.015 trillion for DepEd and its attached agencies, including Retirement and Life Insurance Premiums, Education Secretary Sonny Angara said the department secured its largest budget in recent years for programs directly supporting learners and teachers.

These include funding for classrooms and school facilities, school-based feeding, textbooks, learner subsidies, laptops for teachers and students, additional teaching and non-teaching positions, and continuous training for teachers and school heads.

In line with Angara’s five-point reform agenda, DepEd is set to intensify efforts to address the long-standing shortage of classrooms by allocating P85.3 billion under the approved 2026 budget. Of this amount, P65 billion will be used for the construction of 24,964 new classrooms, while P7.7 billion will fund the repair and rehabilitation of existing school buildings.

Angara said DepEd will also pursue partnerships with local government units and private sector partners through public-private partnerships to ensure faster and more transparent implementation of school building programs.

For learning materials, DepEd received P19.5 billion for the production of textbooks and other instructional resources. Last year, the agency procured 105 textbook titles within a single year, marking a 289 percent increase in output.

Beyond physical infrastructure, the department will prioritize digital access and connectivity. DepEd secured P10.6 billion for the DepEd Computerization Program to provide public schools nationwide with digital tools and internet access.

Teacher development also received a boost, with P4.6 billion allocated for training to ensure educators are equipped with updated and effective teaching methodologies.

To strengthen manpower, the budget includes P42.4 billion for the hiring of 32,916 teaching positions, 6,000 Principal I posts, and 10,000 School Counselor Associate positions. Of this amount, P29 billion is allocated as a lump sum for filling teaching items.

DepEd also received funding for 11,268 Administrative Officer II positions amounting to P2.2 billion, as well as 5,000 Project Development Officer I positions worth P1 billion.

Angara emphasized that quality education must go hand in hand with learner health and well-being. Congress allotted P25.6 billion for the Expanded School-Based Feeding Program, which is expected to benefit 4.6 million learners nationwide.

Under the program, all Kindergarten and Grade 1 learners, severely wasted and wasted learners in Grades 2 to 6, and nutritionally at-risk pregnant adolescents enrolled in public schools will receive meals for up to 200 days, with pregnant learners covered for 45 feeding days.