Malacañan Palace
January 16, 2025

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. underscored his commitment to education as he met with key Cabinet members and officials from the Department of Education (DepEd) to address challenges arising from budget cuts in the Agency’s 2025 appropriation during a meeting at Malacañan Palace.

Although education remains a top priority under his Administration, the approved budget for DepEd stands at PhP737 billion, which is PhP11 billion lower than the proposed PhP748 billion. This reduction affects critical programs, including the creation of new teaching positions, the Basic Education Facilities Fund (BEFF) and the DepEd Computerization Program (DCP).

The budget reduction for new school personnel positions raises concerns about worsening the country’s teacher shortage. DepEd highlighted that this backlog further compromises the delivery of quality education.

Likewise, the PhP12.379 billion proposed for the DCP is reduced to PhP2.43 billion. As a result, DepEd was forced to cancel PhP4 billion worth of early-procured projects intended to provide essential tools such as laptops, smart TVs and satellite-based internet for learners and teachers.

The reduced BEFF allocation also impacts the construction of much-needed school buildings, hindering efforts to address overcrowding in classrooms.

*****