DepEd sees more teachers, expanded school feeding

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said Monday that a record P1.3 trillion allocation for the education sector in the 2026 national budget will provide immediate relief to public schools through the hiring of thousands of teachers and the expansion of nutrition programs.

Gatchalian, who chairs the Senate Committee on Finance, cited that P42 billion is designated for creating new school personnel positions. Of that amount, P29 billion will fund more than 32,000 new teaching positions nationwide to address shortages and reduce class sizes.

The budget also includes P9 billion to provide tutors for every public school under the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program. The initiative provides targeted support for students struggling to keep pace with their curriculum.

“Some of the immediate effects of the historic funding we allocated to the education sector include the expansion of the School-Based Feeding Program and the addition of more teachers and tutors,” Gatchalian said.

The School-Based Feeding Program received P25.6 billion, allowing the duration of the program to increase from 120 to 200 days. The expanded coverage will now include all kindergarten and Grade 1 students. It will also continue to support students from Grades 2 to 6 who are identified as stunted or wasted.

Gatchalian stressed that these investments are expected to yield immediate improvements in student well-being and learning outcomes, particularly for the country’s most vulnerable learners.