Public school students from Kindergarten to Grade 12 are set to receive complete sets of textbooks for the first time after the government allocated P19.5 billion for instructional materials under the 2026 national budget, according to Senator Sherwin Gatchalian.

Gatchalian, who chairs the Senate Committee on Finance, said the funding aims to end the long-standing problem of students sharing textbooks in public schools.

“Sa ilalim ng 2026 national budget, tiniyak nating wala nang mag-aaral ang kulang ang aklat. Kung dati ay ginagamit ng mahigit isang mag-aaral ang kada isang libro, hindi na ngayon (Under the 2026 national budget, we ensured that no student will lack textbooks. If before more than one student had to share a single book, that will no longer be the case now),” Gatchalian said in a statement on Saturday.

The allocation is intended to ensure that each learner has access to their own learning materials as the Department of Education continues the rollout of the MATATAG Curriculum.

However, Gatchalian also urged the education department to ensure proper use of the funds, noting that the utilization rate for textbooks and other instructional materials in 2025 was only 14 percent.

At a Senate Committee on Finance hearing, Carmela Oracion reported that the agency has already conducted early procurement worth P7 billion. 

The textbooks ordered will cover Grades 6, 9, and 10, which are the remaining grade levels needed for the full implementation of the MATATAG curriculum.

Oracion added that the remaining P12 billion from the allocation will be distributed to regional offices to support the nationwide rollout of textbooks.

The senator said the initiative forms part of the government’s effort to strengthen learning resources in public schools and improve the quality of basic education across the country.