DepEd boosts funding to strengthen classroom resources

Education Secretary Sonny Angara announced the boost in the budget allocation for public school operations to address rising operational costs and improving the overall quality of campus facilities.

Under the 2026 budget, the Department of Education (DepEd) has significantly increased the per-learner Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) for elementary, junior high, and senior high schools, ensuring that funds are directed straight to the grassroots level.

For elementary public schools, the MOOE allocation has risen to PhP2,792 per learner—up from PhP2,140 in 2025 and PhP1,389 in 2024. 

Junior high school students will benefit from a per-learner allocation of PhP2,631, an increase from P2,201 in 2025 and P1,844 in 2024. 

Meanwhile, senior high school funding has jumped to PhP3,264 per learner, compared to P2,784 last year and PhP2,306 in 2024.

Angara said the significant increase aims to provide schools with more resources for essential classroom needs, thereby improving the learning environment for both students and teachers. 

"Sa pagbuhos natin ng pondo diretso sa ating mga eskwelahan, tinitiyak natin na may sapat na kagamitan at suporta ang ating mga guro at mag-aaral para magtagumpay at makamit ang kanilang buong potensyal," he said.

As part of its reform efforts, DepEd has moved away from based funding on fixed criteria such as student numbers, teacher ratios, and classroom sizes. Instead, the department is now fully implementing the Simplified Normative Funding Formula (SNFF).

This new formula focuses on more practical, enrollment-driven data to determine the minimum budget required for schools to meet service standards. 

Angara said the education department plans to continue this upward fiscal momentum, with elementary schools slated to receive PhP2,982, junior high schools PhP2,744, and senior high schools PhP3,558 per learner.

“Ang malaking dagdag-pondo na ito ay malinaw na mensahe ni Pangulong Bongbong Marcos na prayoridad natin ang kapakanan ng ating mga paaralan at ang pagbibigay ng sapat na resources para sa ating mga mag-aaral,” Secretary Angara said.

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