The Department of Education (DepEd) is asking Congress for P15.98 billion to continue its flagship learning recovery program after it received zero funding in the proposed 2027 national budget, even as the agency reported that the number of struggling readers plunged by two-thirds under the program last school year.

Education Secretary Sonny Angara told the House Committee on Appropriations on Monday that DepEd needs an additional P145.19 billion to finance critical programs left out of the P975.96-billion 2027 National Expenditure Program (NEP), with the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program among the biggest unfunded items.

“These are the priority interventions that were not accommodated in the FY 2027 National Expenditure Program budget but are essential to accelerating our reforms and improving the learning outcomes of our students,” Angara told lawmakers.

DepEd said the number of struggling readers fell from 6.7 million to 2.2 million during School Year 2025-2026, while learners reaching grade-level reading readiness rose from 3.3 million to 5.8 million.

Angara asked for P15.98 billion to sustain ARAL, including honoraria for teachers handling additional workloads, training and compensation for tutors, learning materials, a summer learning program, remediation consultations and program management.