DepEd

Principal FY2027 NEP allocations and DepEd original request: Education Secretary Sonny Angara stated that the FY2027 National Expenditure Program (NEP) proposed PHP975.96 billion for the Department of Education (DepEd), including attached agencies. The attached-agency allocations were PHP169.9 million for the National Book Development Board (NBDB), PHP76 million for the National Council for Children's Television (NCCT), PHP1.56 billion for the National Museum of the Philippines, PHP135.3 million for the Philippine High School for the Arts (PHSA), PHP360.3 million for the Teacher Education Council (TEC), and PHP258.5 million for the National Academy of Sports (NAS). Angara separately confirmed that DepEd had submitted an original FY2027 PHP1.1 trillion request to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM); this was the original submission, separate from later additional funding requests. Original request totals for the attached agencies were not stated in the principal-allocation presentation. Angara said the FY2027 aggregate NEP allocation was PHP39.35 billion below the FY2026 General Appropriations Act (GAA) level.

DepEd appropriation components, program funding and utilization: DepEd proper's personnel services represented about 79% of its budget, approximately PHP 766 billion. Compared with the fiscal year 2026 General Appropriations Act (GAA), maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE) declined by PHP 33 billion and capital outlay by PHP 67 billion.

The FY2027 NEP highlights included PHP 12.09 billion for expanded career progression targeting more than 135,000 teachers and school heads; PHP 3.75 billion for training more than 500,000 teachers and laptops for 50,000 teachers; PHP 17.31 billion for more than 4,000 classrooms; PHP 3.37 billion for internet renewal in more than 14,000 schools, information and communications technology (ICT) solutions and capacity building; PHP 6.4 billion for textbooks, workbooks and other learning materials; PHP 2.63 billion for inclusive education; and PHP 11.43 billion for the feeding program serving 3.69 million learners. DepEd also sought additional support for inclusive education, governance and innovation without stating an amount. For FY2026, DepEd reported obligation utilization of 51.54% and disbursement of 89.28% as of August 20, 2026.

Special Needs Education Program (SNED): NEP comparison, additional request, and restoration proposal: For DepEd's Special Needs Education Program (SNED), Rep. Percival Cendaña said the FY2027 amount had fallen to PHP 850 million from an earlier amount he described only as “[unclear] billion.” DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara said the FY2026 and FY2027 NEP amounts were level; he explained that the FY2026 GAA's PHP 1.04 billion included a congressional insertion, while the next year's budget carried forward the prior NEP amount. He said DepEd had appealed for an additional PHP 541.5 million, subject to Congress's discretion, for staffing, facilities and equipment at inclusive learning centers, program support funds for 34,000 schools and each Schools Division Office, teacher training, and capacity building for 622 school heads, supervisors, and multidisciplinary teams. Cendaña proposed restoring SNED funding to PHP 1 billion and said it could be increased to PHP 2 billion. Angara expressed agreement with supporting SNED; no formal disposition of Cendaña's proposal is recorded in this unit.

Inclusive Learning Resource Centers (ILRCs): FY2027 allocation and expansion: Cendaña said 32 Inclusive Learning Resource Centers (ILRCs) were operating against a target of 1,642 and asked how many DepEd would build in the next year and what funding was available. Angara said the FY2027 budget was PHP 81.6 million, enough to construct six ILRCs. Cendaña calculated that this would bring the total to 38 by the hoped-for end of FY2027. Angara said DepEd would continue to request extra funding and suggested encouraging local government units to build centers and expanding the Adopt-a-School law's eligible activities to include inclusive education, drawing in private-sector support.

Learner support centers: FY2027 funding and staffing: Cendaña asked about implementation of learner support centers, which he described as one-stop sites for student well-being, mental health, and reproductive health, and asked what DepEd requested and what appeared in the NEP. Angara said the FY2027 budget for enhancing the centers was PHP 10.8 million. He believed DepEd had requested more but could not provide the original request amount during the exchange. Cendaña asked DepEd to furnish the information before the hearing ended and asked how the centers would be staffed without adding the work to already overburdened teachers. Angara said teachers would receive training but should not have to absorb the problem; he cited learner formation officers, school counselor associates, guidance counselor associates, and available guidance counselors, alongside broader teacher training on mental health.

ARAL request, proposed components and tutor compensation: Rep. Salvador A. Pleyto asked DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara where the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program Act was funded in the fiscal year 2027 National Expenditure Program (NEP). Angara said the program had no allotment in the 2027 budget, compared with around PHP 9 billion for ARAL activities in FY2026, and that DepEd had proposed PHP 9.98 billion during the budget call for implementation. He listed PHP 1.09 billion for compensation for 15,800 ARAL tutors, PHP 6 billion for learning recovery and remediation consultations, PHP 1.25 billion for summer program tutors, PHP 1.18 billion for external tutors, PHP 4.61 billion for learning resources, PHP 1.75 billion for tutor orientation, and PHP 94 million for program management. The listed amounts do not arithmetically reconcile to the stated PHP 9.98 billion proposal; the hearing did not reconcile the total and component figures. Asked whether the funding covered the program and fair compensation for teachers and para-teachers already carrying regular workloads, Angara said remuneration was included in the request, specified PHP 3.5 billion for total remuneration within the request, and affirmed it was sufficient. Pleyto then expressed support for allocating the funding needed to implement ARAL; no appropriation vote or disposition is recorded in this exchange.

Funding reductions, feeding and learning support: Representative Edgar R. Erice cited reductions in the FY2027 proposed budget against the FY2026 General Appropriations Act (GAA): basic-education facilities, school-based feeding, textbooks and instructional materials, new school personnel positions, safer-schools infrastructure, computerization, curriculum and the school innovation fund. He described senior-high-school vouchers and education service-contracting subsidies as reduced to zero. Education Secretary Sonny Angara agreed the overall budget had fallen, explaining that FY2026 included a P200 billion increase for education and health from flood-control funds. He said DepEd requested additional funding to maintain the current year's feeding level: the FY2027 proposal covered 120 days, and the Department hoped to extend feeding to 180 days. Angara said feeding supported children's weight gain, foundational and holistic learning, especially in kindergarten and Grade 1, and attendance. He also sought restoration of Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) reading funds and hoped to expand tutoring to mathematics and science. The system-wide tutoring program had provided tutors for public-school students for the first time, and he urged sustaining it.

Voucher programs: consolidated allocation and reduction: Erice said his data showed P26 billion for the program in 2026 and zero in the current proposal. Angara clarified the programs were not eliminated: funding for the Senior High School Joint Delivery Voucher Program (JDVP) and Education Service Contracting (ESC) had been consolidated. He put their combined allocation at P38 billion, about P3 billion below the prior year. When Erice again cited zero for education assistance and subsidies, Angara said the program he meant had been reduced by P3 billion. Angara said vouchers help decongest crowded public schools by placing students in nearby private schools; the reduction meant fewer beneficiaries.

Local government support proposal: Erice contrasted P58 billion for the Local Government Support Fund (LGSF) with P10 billion for the program he was discussing and urged the President and Congress to consider reducing LGSF in favor of education programs already planned for implementation. The scope and comparison basis of the figures are unclear in the exchange, and no response or decision on the proposal appears in this unit.

Classroom construction and the school-building gap: Erice asked how DepEd would meet President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s pledge to build 40,000 classrooms before the end of his term in 2028. Angara said the annual GAA allocation had averaged about 5,000 classrooms, while the FY2026 infrastructure appropriation was about P60 billion for new classrooms, representing about 18,000. A Public-Private Partnership (PPP) project for another 16,000 classrooms had been approved by the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development Investment Coordination Committee (DepDev ICC). Angara said work could begin on about 34,000 classrooms that year. He cautioned that the accumulated deficit exceeded 140,000 classrooms, but called the effort the largest attempt to reduce it. Erice said his Caloocan district lacked about 150 classrooms and hoped the pledge would be met; Angara undertook to do so.

Teacher laptops and additional request: Erice asked about the pledge to provide a laptop to every public-school teacher. Angara said DepEd was distributing about 283,000 laptops that year among about 870,000 teachers, nearly one-third of the teaching workforce, and called it the largest single-year allocation. He said the FY2027 budget funded only 50,000 laptops and DepEd was requesting an additional P10 billion to fulfill the pledge; sustainability remained a challenge.

Textbooks and learning materials: Erice asked what had improved in textbooks and other learning materials. Angara said the current year had a historic allocation of more than P20 billion for textbooks. DepEd's goal was one textbook per learner, replacing a system in which one book passed through four groups of children and could reach the last group badly worn. Supplementary learning materials, including library books, could be taken home and written in to support learning and memory. Angara cited an Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II) finding that a little over 20, approximately 27, textbooks had been procured in the preceding 10 years; in 2026 DepEd procured all 105 of 105 titles. Timely delivery remained a challenge: delays had previously been a year, while he hoped they could be reduced to weeks or months and the goal reached before 2028 through early procurement.

Classroom construction and repair funding: Rep. Adrian Michael A. Amatong described a shortage of more than 700 classrooms in his district and more than 1,000 classrooms needing minor or major repairs, and asked for updates. DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara said DepEd had signed memoranda of agreement with more than 350 local government units, representing more than PHP 20 billion worth of classrooms. He said the next public-private partnership batch would focus strongly on Mindanao and pledged to include Amatong's district, calling its backlog large; he also said DepEd would account for Zamboanga Peninsula's poverty and reliance on national support in future classroom funding. Amatong asked to increase classroom repair funding, noting that repairing rooms can cost less than replacing them. Angara agreed that repairs were a significant backlog, citing old classrooms that remained in use while awaiting replacements. He put the fiscal year 2026 repair budget at about PHP 6 billion or PHP 7 billion and the fiscal year 2027 repair budget at PHP 5 billion, said the 2027 amount remained above previous years, and welcomed an increase. He warned that buildings that should be condemned may remain in use and may be unsafe in an earthquake. No specific increase amount or formal motion was made in this exchange.

Expanded career progression: funded promotions and backlog: Rep. Antonio L. Tinio asked how many qualified teachers and school heads were still waiting for promotion because funding was unavailable. Secretary Sonny Angara said Congress provided a 2026 budget of PHP 6 billion, enough for 82,000 promotions, and cited a 2027 budget of PHP 12 billion intended to cover 135,000 school-head promotions. He said about 100,000 qualified people remained in the backlog and would be funded in 2027 because FY2026 funding was limited to PHP 6 billion. Tinio confirmed that the 135,000 target included the 100,000 backlog, leaving 35,000 new promotions; Angara agreed. Angara explained that delayed promotions could advance a person several ranks at once, so the number of promotions was not a one-to-one count of people moving one rank.

Teacher shortage: unfunded wish-list need and FY2027 hiring: Tinio asked for DepEd's teacher-shortage figure and target. Angara put the shortage at 14,274 teachers, estimated the cost at about PHP 4.29 billion, and identified it as part of DepEd's wish list; he qualified the figure as based on 2025 statistics. Asked how many teacher-shortage positions were included for FY2027, he answered zero. He explained that DepEd had received funding for 32,000 hires in the current year, above an average of about 20,000 by 12,000, and hoped additions might be made during the budget process. Tinio noted that current-year hiring also covered non-teaching positions such as school counselors and counselor associates; Angara added project-development and administrative officers and ADAS. Tinio then asked whether FY2027 had zero funding for new teacher hiring, and Angara confirmed.

Guidance counselor vacancies: funded posts without enough qualified applicants: Rep. Renee Louise M. Co asked why only 1,000 of 5,000 open guidance counselor posts had been filled and whether funding was available for the rest. Secretary Sonny Angara confirmed there were over 3,000 vacancies, with funding and hiring in place but no takers. He said the field was narrow, few people completed the master's degree required for qualification, and graduates might find the salary too low.

Mental health workforce pipeline and long-term plan: Co referred to a long-term plan that she said would cost over PHP 1 trillion and asked for a copy, including how it would increase the supply of psychology graduates. Angara described the long-term goal as building a pipeline of mental health professionals, with progression beyond guidance counselors through guidance counselor associate and school counselor associate positions. He said DepEd would need to discuss raising these professionals' salary scales with DBM because market conditions were not favorable.

FY2027 counselor staffing and hiring progress: Co cited a target of 10,000 guidance counselor associate hires for 2026, approved by DBM, and said DepEd's presentation showed 1,800 school counselor associates and 221 Schools Division Office counselors allotted for FY2027, nearly one-fifth of the target. Angara agreed and said DepEd was working to fill the positions. He said the usual three-to-four-month hiring period had been shortened to 30 days. Co requested a hiring progress report for the 10,000 positions, and Angara agreed to provide it.

School shooting drills: funding source and revised approach: Co asked how DepEd funded the school shooting drill held on September 3. Angara said the source was school maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE), not the Office of the Secretary. He said DepEd postponed the drill after the Psychiatrists Association raised concern about possible trauma, then toned it down to preserve a system response and incorporated as many of the association's suggestions as it could. Co asked whether the guidelines were final and whether they considered concerns about drill effectiveness and possible psychological harm, especially for students with disabilities or prior trauma, which she attributed to a 2024 US National Academies of Sciences consensus report. Angara said DepEd had issued guidance that considered medical associations' input, but it remained a work in progress; he described the subject as delicate and said DepEd was willing to adjust its approach over time based on what proved effective.

Mental health funding and school security proposals: In her closing manifestation, Co welcomed a PHP 464 million item for the mental health and guidance counseling program and asked DepEd to send any additional need not included so the committee could try to add it during the budget process. She argued that funding should favor mental health programs over a securitized school model. Citing studies, she said the effectiveness of drills was difficult to establish, while police presence, metal detectors, drills, and officers in school hallways could carry behavioral and other costs for young people; she urged that such measures not be adopted beyond what evidence supported. Angara thanked her. No appropriation action is recorded in this unit.

FY2027 school repairs, WASH facilities and coastal protection: Rodriguez asked for the fiscal year 2027 budget for repairing and rehabilitating existing schools, including toilets, hand-washing and sanitation facilities, and whether it was sufficient and how projects would be prioritized, especially in disaster-prone Catanduanes. He cited DepEd's initial estimate of around PHP 561 million in school damage from Typhoon Uwan, including 300 damaged water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities, and described further needs for school toilets and washing stations. He also asked for seawalls to protect coastal school buildings. Angara said DepEd's fiscal year 2027 repair and rehabilitation budget was PHP 5.17 billion, enough to repair around 7,900 classrooms, and assured Rodriguez that Catanduanes would be prioritized because of its frequent typhoon exposure. On seawalls, Angara said they were outside DepEd's funded scope and suggested the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) as a possible agency. Rodriguez reiterated the need to protect coastal school facilities and prevent damage to existing structures; no seawall funding commitment was made.

Last-mile classrooms and school electrification: Representative Sergio C. Dagooc asked whether the FY2027 budget covered last-mile schools. Education Secretary Sonny Angara said PHP 1.9 billion was provided and could fund about 131 classrooms. Asked about coordination on school electrification, Angara clarified that DepEd no longer held the FY2027 electrification funds: they had been transferred directly to the National Electrification Administration (NEA). Dagooc urged early coordination with NEA and the concerned electric cooperatives so they would receive the schools list in advance and could plan materials and implementation. Angara undertook to coordinate and consult Dagooc on the details.

Child protection funding merged into learner support: Dagooc said the FY2026 Child Protection Program allocation was PHP 89.9 billion and asked why its FY2027 line appeared to be zero. Angara corrected the unit: the amount was in millions, not billions. He said the child-protection line had been merged into Learner Support Services, so the specific line disappeared but the program was not eliminated. Dagooc confirmed he meant PHP 89 million and asked whether the current-year amount had been fully used; Angara said only part had been spent and some remained. He described the work as teacher training pending hiring; training and orientation on the Anti-Bullying Act and Department Order No. 6, Series of 2026; classroom discussions of bullying and cyberbullying; advocacy materials; and a learner telesafe helpline. Angara later reaffirmed that capacity building, advocacy, hotline upgrades and additional field personnel remained included in the broader budget.

Security personnel funding request: Dagooc asked whether the Child Protection Program covered salaries for school security aides. Angara said security guards were usually paid from school maintenance and other operating expenses and sometimes by local government units (LGUs), particularly in cities. He said DepEd was requesting funding for security personnel as part of its previously mentioned wish list; no amount or decision was stated in this exchange.

FY2027 proposals for mental-health training and school security: Rep. Marie Bernadette G. Escudero asked the Department of Education (DepEd) what it was proposing for FY2027 NEP funding to prevent school shootings and school violence. Secretary Sonny Angara said DepEd was proposing an additional PHP 400 million for mental-health training and capacity building, plus an additional PHP 8 billion line item for security guards, metal detectors, and perimeter fences. Asked whether the security measures would deter violence, Angara said prevention depended on a combination of factors. He said entry-point checks had caught knives, but described cases where weapons were concealed in shoes, a thermos, or underwear, so screening was not foolproof. Escudero said she still viewed the funded security measures as helpful for school safety. These were DepEd proposals and member support; no appropriation action is recorded in this exchange.

School counselor associates: staffing levels, FY2027 NEP wish-list request, and hiring: Escudero said DepEd had previously funded 10,000 school counselor associate positions and added 1,800 more now; she asked about utilization. Angara said hiring was underway. He explained that DepEd could begin only after the Civil Service Commission issued the qualification standard on June 30, and that hiring time had been cut from three to four months to 30 days. Escudero said the target was one associate per school, about 48,000 schools nationwide; Angara agreed. Escudero restated the current FY2027 total as 11,800 positions. Angara said that at 1,800 positions a year, reaching the target could take 20 years. Asked what DepEd was requesting for the FY2027 NEP, he said it was asking for PHP 11.4 billion from its wish list to fill more than 30,000 schools. Escudero clarified this as one school counselor associate per school and restated the request as PHP 11.48 billion; Angara confirmed. Angara first gave a rounded figure before confirming the more precise amount.

School furniture: delayed deliveries, sourcing constraints, and funding: Escudero asked whether furniture was bundled with schools implemented by local government units (LGUs) for 2026; Angara said it was supposed to be. She reported furniture still undelivered in her district for 2024 projects, and Angara said classroom completion belonged to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), while furniture was DepEd's responsibility. Asked about the delays, Angara cited design changes and an executive-order requirement that 20 percent of school furniture use engineered bamboo; he said limited supply made sourcing difficult nationwide. Escudero described backlogs reaching 2018 and old or makeshift furniture. Angara assured her that DepEd would work closely with her to address the shortage. Asked about FY2027 funding for backlogs, he cited PHP 2.94 billion for next year. He said FY2026 had PHP 3.69 billion, which he believed was being procured, and said a new batch of furniture would arrive with an allotment for her district.

Public-private partnership (PPP) school program: selection, schedule, and GAA overlap: Escudero asked how DepEd selected schools for the PPP program. Angara said selection was largely based on congestion, so early sites were mainly in crowded urban areas; of more than 1,000 sites, he estimated around 600 would require demolition because of limited land. Asked what was planned for 2026, he said DepEd was targeting the first 3,000-classroom batch within a 16,000-classroom PPP program, and hoped to award all 16,000 by December 2026. Escudero raised possible duplication between school buildings funded in the FY2026 General Appropriations Act (GAA) and the PPP. Angara said PPP projects had been identified first and were slower because of regulatory and multilateral approvals; he said it was difficult to change projects already in that process, so those sites should remain in the PPP and the GAA should fund school buildings not covered by it.

FY2027 foundational literacy and numeracy funding: Rep. Iris Marie Demesa Montes asked what portion of the Department of Education (DepEd) fiscal year 2027 proposed budget addressed foundational literacy and numeracy. DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara described at least PHP 10 billion as a broad ballpark for efforts he connected to learning outcomes, including about PHP 6 billion for textbooks and a few billion for assessments; he also included digitalization as potentially contributing to assessment performance. When Montes asked whether this was about 10% of the proposed budget, Angara said the learning systems and curriculum strand was about 4% of the DepEd budget, while personnel services were about 79%. The PHP 10 billion ballpark for foundational learning efforts and the 4% share for the learning systems and curriculum strand refer to different scopes in the exchange; they are retained separately.

FY2027 computerization program and delivery tracking: Montes cited a 2025 Commission on Audit (COA) observation concerning computerization-program packages and asked what DepEd had learned as it requested PHP 5.8 billion for the fiscal year 2027 computerization program. Angara said DepEd had addressed the COA observation and that the computers had been fully delivered; he characterized the audit observation as a snapshot in time. He said the department was improving tracking so it could identify when computers reached schools and learners.

FY2027 last-mile school construction and repairs: Montes asked how much of the fiscal year 2027 proposed budget was allocated to building and repairing last-mile schools, including typhoon-resilient buildings. Angara said the FY2027 last-mile schools budget was PHP 1.91 billion and confirmed the fiscal year when Montes repeated the amount.

FY2027 private-school voucher obligations and funding: Montes asked about arrears owed to private schools under the Senior High School (SHS) voucher program and Education Service Contracting (ESC), and whether FY2027 funding would cover them. Angara said the remaining balance was less than PHP 10 million and cited a PHP 38 billion FY2027 voucher budget. His answer identified the balance and allocation without explicitly committing that the arrears would be fully liquidated.

FY2027 DepEd wish list and conditional budget total: Representative Nelson S. Legacion asked whether the Department of Education (DepEd) document Building on Progress, Transforming Learning listed additions to its proposed FY2027 budget. Education Secretary Sonny Angara confirmed it was DepEd's wish list. Legacion estimated that granting those additions could bring the budget to about PHP 1.1 trillion and supported them subject to finding a funding source. Angara later confirmed that the PHP 145 billion wish list included restoration of maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE). These were proposed additions, not adopted appropriations.

MOOE decline and school-level allocations: Legacion compared DepEd maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE) of PHP 207 billion in the FY2026 General Appropriations Act (GAA) with PHP 174 billion in the proposed FY2027 budget, a PHP 33 billion decrease. He also gave per-learner appropriation figures: elementary, PHP 2,140 previously and PHP 2,792 this year; high school, PHP 2,784 previously and PHP 3,264 this year. He asked whether the higher FY2026 request had been mistaken and whether the lower MOOE would affect schools. Angara explained that personnel services took a larger share of the total, nearly 79% in FY2027 versus about 60-plus% the prior year. He agreed the reduction affected per-learner allocations, including school feeding and textbooks. Asked whether MOOE could be restored, Angara said restoration was in DepEd's wish list and the decision rested with Congress.

Special Education Fund oversight and alignment: Legacion said the Special Education Fund (SEF) aggregated several billion pesos across cities and provinces. He asked whether its use was monitored by DepEd and argued that local SEF spending should align with Department programs and goals. Angara agreed on the importance of alignment but said local autonomy limited DepEd's control. Experiences varied: some local chief executives let DepEd direct spending, while others retained unspent annual allocations. DepEd had broadened the menu of eligible SEF uses, but Angara said the Department lacked coercive authority to enforce alignment; he suggested that authority might rest with the Department of Finance (DOF). Legacion reiterated his support for DepEd and its additional-budget request. This was a statement of support, not a formal motion or appropriation approval.

Bawal Bastos Law implementation, GAD funding and compliance report: Representative Sarah Jane I. Elago asked about regional implementation of the Bawal Bastos Law: completion of codes of conduct and consultations, and functioning Committees on Decorum and Investigation across divisions and schools. Education Secretary Sonny Angara said the work was still being completed, that its budget was included in DepEd's Gender and Development (GAD) budget, and that the Department could submit a report for each region. Elago also requested information on spending for referrals and interventions, especially mental-health and psychosocial support for survivors of sexual violence, and said these services should be available to students, teachers, non-teaching staff and other education stakeholders. In her closing remarks, she requested status reports on these concerns and on DepEd's compliance with its GAD mandate. Angara agreed to submit them.

Teacher home-based work allowance and flexible arrangements: Elago asked whether DepEd would provide an additional allowance for teachers working from home during class suspensions. Angara said there was no home-based-work allowance, but agreed that arrangements should be flexible when a school was unaffected while a teacher or student was affected where they lived. He said affected students could be excused from attending school and use alternative delivery modes. Elago added that some teacher laptops could only be used on school premises and that not all communities could shift online because of power and internet disruptions.

Automatic debt appropriations and education priority: Elago argued that the FY2027 automatic appropriation for principal amortization and debt interest was PHP 2.7 trillion, exceeding the basic education budget, and challenged how education could receive the Constitution's highest budgetary priority while debt service exceeded it. Education Secretary Sonny Angara said the Supreme Court had already ruled that automatic debt-payment appropriations could exceed the education budget. He added that borrowing could be acceptable if funds were spent properly on people, education and health and kept from corruption; he said wealthier countries also carried large debts but spent more carefully. In her closing statement, Elago called for Congress to review automatic appropriations, especially debt service. She said that debt figure represented 37.5% of the next year's overall budget and exceeded the combined PHP 1.59 trillion budgets for education, health and agriculture. She urged raising DepEd and attached-agency funding, restoring cuts to FY2026 levels, and investing in local agriculture and industry. These were arguments and policy requests, not a formal budget motion or enacted change.

FY2027 Madrasa Education Program allocation and asatid compensation: Rep. Dadah Kiram Ismula said the fiscal year 2027 National Expenditure Program (NEP) allocation for the Department of Education (DepEd) Madrasa Education Program was PHP 504 million, below the 2026 level, and asked for DepEd's original proposal to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM). DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara said DepEd had proposed PHP 2.03 billion for FY2027 and confirmed that the amount was solely for the Madrasa program. Asked what the proposal would fund, Angara said it covered increased subsidy and additional asatids, including compensation for 670 asatids handling ALIVE and Arabic-language classes. He gave 2,906 as the number of plantilla items and said monthly asatid compensation was PHP 12,500, the same as in 2026. Ismula said Akbayan would push for an increase in due time and stressed that the Madrasa system was integral to Muslim Filipinos; no increase was voted on in this exchange.

IPED NEP and restoration to the FY2026 level: Ismula questioned the Indigenous Peoples' Education (IPED) FY2027 NEP amount of PHP 76 million against the higher FY2026 level. Angara clarified the comparison: IPED received PHP 74.8 million in the FY2026 NEP; Congress increased it to PHP 154.4 million in the FY2026 General Appropriations Act (GAA). He said the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) generally uses the preceding NEP level, rather than the GAA level, in preparing the next year's proposal because Congress may add funding again; the FY2027 NEP was a little over PHP 1 million above the FY2026 NEP. Asked what services were at risk if funding were not restored, Angara cited IPED delivery support, a second batch of learning-delivery and translanguaging training, and policies and interagency standards addressing Indigenous learner access. He said additional funding could cover 4,471 more schools. Angara said the PHP 76 million allocation would serve 560,700 learners and 4,400 schools, and described an additional PHP 78 million request as bringing IPED back to the FY2026 level; he said that would serve the same number of schools as at that level. The exchange did not record an approval of the additional request.

BARMM education funding authority, loans and coordination: Ismula cited the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II) report's stunting rates of 25.3% nationally and 36% in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), and asked how DepEd coordinated with the Ministry of Basic, Higher and Technical Education (MBHTE) on stunting and learning gaps. Angara said DepEd was assisting with capacity building, but school feeding was not among the activities the Bangsamoro Organic Law authorized DepEd to fund; school buildings and teacher training were authorized. He identified possible legislative amendment or program alignment as ways forward. When Ismula asked whether a specific technical-assistance or alignment mechanism existed for feeding, subsidy and learning recovery, Angara described an education-focused Bangsamoro coordination council established under EDCOM II, including DepEd, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED). He distinguished it from a broader national-spending coordination mechanism headed by the Department of Finance (DOF), and said the education council had held its first two-day workshop the prior week. Angara added that DepEd was supporting school buildings and teacher training in BARMM; foreign-loan programs were outside GAA funding, and BARMM could be included in them. He cited tablets provided under DepEd's TCEP loan for teacher training in digital technology and modern teaching methods.

Sulu ISAL teacher transition and FY2027 absorption: Ismula said the Ministry of Basic, Higher and Technical Education (MBHTE) renewed the contracts of more than 700 Islamic Studies and Arabic Language (ISAL) teachers in Sulu on June 25, 2026. Under a joint MBHTE-DepEd memorandum signed February 5, 2026, the Bangsamoro Government had committed to continue salaries and benefits for Sulu Educational Personnel during the FY2026 transition period. Ismula asked whether DepEd would absorb or regularize the ISAL teachers in FY2027 or leave them without funding. Angara replied that DepEd would absorb them, which Ismula welcomed.

Community asatids and an unpaid Region 9 concern: Ismula said asatids in her community appreciated the program, but some asatids from Region 9 had still not received their payments. She said she would send the matter by letter and hoped it could be resolved. Angara thanked her for following up on issues involving ALIVE and asatids. The reported unpaid amounts remained a matter for her written follow-up.

Yap support for an increased DepEd budget: Representative John Geesnell "Baba" Yap supported the proposed FY2027 DepEd budget and an increase to it, without specifying an amount. His statement was an expression of support.

FY2027 classroom facilities request and delivery capacity: Chairperson Maria Carmen S. Zamora relayed a question from civil society organizations, including MultiplyED, citing a 64.2% cut in the FY2027 basic-education facilities allocation, a classroom backlog above 166,000, and 58% of monitored schools reporting too few classrooms. MultiplyED also reported schools running two or three shifts and unfinished projects despite substantial contractor payments. Asked why DepEd sought comparatively few classrooms despite the growing need, Education Secretary Sonny Angara said the Department had asked the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) for PHP 98 billion for FY2027 classroom construction, enough to match or exceed the current year's amount, but that request was not granted in the National Expenditure Program (NEP). He hoped the final General Appropriations Act (GAA) might improve the infrastructure allocation. Angara updated the backlog to approximately 142,000 classrooms, noting disasters add destroyed classrooms. To expand delivery beyond agencies' absorptive capacity, DepEd was involving local government units (LGUs), more than 350 government instrumentalities, private actors and corporations, public-private partnerships (PPPs), and multilateral agencies.

On a later question about chronic under-obligation in facilities and computerization, Angara said early procurement was one response, but changes in allotments between the NEP and GAA after bicameral conference had made an earlier bid ineffective. He said digital and computerization procurement capacity had improved and that hundreds of thousands of computers were expected to be procured in the coming months. Zamora clarified that she was asking about ways forward; Angara added decentralization, including funds to regions, and keeping recurring procurement policies stable so suppliers could prepare.

Textbook allocation, utilization and procurement: Zamora cited civil-society monitoring that students at some schools had received no textbooks despite a prior-year allocation increase associated with the MATATAG and strengthened senior-high-school curricula. She asked how DepEd would address utilization and delivery gaps, especially in last-mile schools, and whether Schools Division Offices could procure books. Angara said DepEd was open to exploring that approach, and that many regional offices already procured textbooks. He said the Department had procured all 105 titles for the curriculum, compared with an Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II) finding that only 27 of roughly 80 titles had been procured in the preceding decade. Delivery remained an area for improvement.

LGU and PPP classroom delivery: Zamora asked whether FY2027 classroom delivery depended on LGU counterpart funding or PPP arrangements, what would happen where an LGU could not contribute, and why construction data were difficult to publish. Angara clarified that there was currently no counterpart-funding arrangement, while acknowledging the role of LGUs in building classrooms. For PPPs, he said DepEd was targeting 16,000 classrooms in the PPP package.

Learning continuity spaces for disasters: Zamora asked how DepEd would build semi-permanent learning continuity spaces during disasters while addressing classroom backlogs and concerns that the construction lines could invite corruption or inefficiency. Angara said DepEd had built 169 spaces in the preceding three months. He described standardized steel structures that could be assembled quickly, replacing earlier ad hoc bamboo or nipa construction; a missing sandwich panel that connects the classroom was an occasional problem. Angara said the structures carried a 20-year warranty, cost under PHP 2 million each, and lasted at least 20 years; he considered this good value. Zamora thanked him for answering the civil-society questions.

FY2027 automatic appropriation and submitted budget: Rep. Presley C. De Jesus asked the Department of Education (DepEd) about its automatic appropriation during the FY2027 budget discussion. Secretary Sonny Angara said PHP 2 billion was for the RLIP, mostly retirement pensions and premiums. Asked whether DepEd's submitted budget had been approved intact or reduced by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), Angara said it was more or less intact, with only a small reduction.

De Jesus proposal for a 20 percent education budget share: He said Vietnam allocated 20 percent of its national budget to education and emphasized teacher training, career paths, promotion, and further study; he also cited an Indonesian teacher-feedback app and investment in early-childhood care in Singapore, Thailand, and Malaysia. De Jesus said he believed the current national budget was about PHP 7.2 trillion and argued that education should move toward a 20 percent share, using Vietnam as a benchmark. Angara put DepEd's current share at about 14.3 percent of the national budget, said that was comparatively better than before, and agreed the country should remain conscious of moving toward a goal. The 20 percent target and PHP 7.2 trillion premise were De Jesus's position, not an adopted appropriation in this exchange.

Agusan del Sur school visit and general budget support: De Jesus recalled Secretary Sonny Angara's visit to a school in Agusan del Sur, where he said Angara walked through water and mud to reach the school and provide computers and internet access. De Jesus then said he and Rep. Sergio Dagooc of APEC supported the proposed DepEd budget, expressing 110 percent support and saying they would manifest full support in plenary. This was general support for the budget, with no specific increase amount or program identified.

DepEd budget decrease, program effects and EDCOM funding priorities: Representative Antonino B. Roman III asked about the PHP 39 billion decrease in DepEd's budget; Education Secretary Sonny Angara confirmed it and said the budget process was still early, with members continuing to advocate for education. Asked whether obligations would rise by year-end, Angara forecast a rate in the high 80s or possibly the low-to-mid 90s; this was a projection, not a reported actual. He said the school-feeding allocation had been cut by around PHP 14 billion or PHP 15 billion, reducing the proposed cycle from 180 days to 120 days. Angara contrasted around four million learners fed in the current school year with a proposed two to three million, including very young children and Grade 1; he said feeding was associated with better learning outcomes, attendance and weight gain.

For new classrooms, Angara described about PHP 65 billion in the current year and around PHP 14 billion, perhaps PHP 13 billion, in the next-year proposal. He said this would slow work against a classroom deficit of about 142,000: compared with funding about 18,000 classrooms in one year, the lower amount could support about 4,000 or 5,000 as construction costs rose. He added that current allocations funded 50,000 computers, so the President's goal of reaching every teacher might not be met at that pace. Roman asked how the reductions affected Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II) recommendations. Angara said EDCOM called for education funding sustained at 4-6% of gross domestic product (GDP) for ten years, a level he said the country had not reached; without sustained funding, problems and the pace of reform would persist. He emphasized infrastructure and feeding for foundational learning and the zero-to-eight years as crucial for a child's learning foundation.

Decentralization, Special Education Fund and Book Nook expansion: Roman asked how basic-education decentralization and stronger local-government participation should work. Angara said decision-making and funding could move to regions and, where possible, Schools Division Offices (SDOs), but local leaders need preparation; DepEd should strengthen principals' and staff's administrative and management skills. He said local chief executives could partner with DepEd by contributing resources, personnel and officials' time, citing an Iloilo example supported by the Education Commission and Synergeia.

Roman asked how to institutionalize local participation through local school boards. Angara said DepEd had broadened the Special Education Fund (SEF) menu beyond uniforms and sports equipment to include early child care, digitalization and remediation, and noted some LGUs developed ARAL-like programs before the ARAL Law took effect. Roman observed that DepEd national seemed to be doing too much; Angara said senior DepEd officials felt similarly. Roman then praised the Book Nook reading hubs, mentioned one in Pilar, Bataan, and asked DepEd to expand the program in Bataan's First District, including Hermosa or another location he could not clearly name. Angara committed to do so. Roman expressed support for DepEd and urged action on EDCOM II recommendations; Angara said the input was well taken. The support and Book Nook commitment were not a formal budget motion or an appropriation decision.

DepEd request and appropriations cited for FY2025-2027: Rep. Jesus 'Bong' C. Suntay recited appropriations of PHP 734 billion for fiscal year 2025, PHP 958 billion for 2026 and PHP 914 billion for 2027, describing the total expenditure program as down 3.9%. DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara agreed that Suntay's figures were correct, said DepEd had asked for a larger budget, and confirmed that its original submission to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) was larger than the final allocation. He said the final amount was outside DepEd's control, the budget process was still at an early stage and the request could increase; he attributed much of the FY2025-to-FY2026 increase to congressional insertions.

Capital-outlay comparison and congressional additions: Suntay compared FY2027 capital outlay of PHP 32.33 billion with approximately PHP 99.47 billion for FY2026, a stated reduction of about 67.5%, and asked why capital outlay fell while schools remained short of classrooms. Angara attributed the difference largely to the FY2026 NEP baseline: Congress added substantially to FY2026 capital outlay in the House, Senate and bicameral conference. He also cited weaker economic conditions and collections probably below expectations. The comparison is between Suntay's cited FY2027 and FY2026 amounts; the answer identifies the congressional additions to the earlier-year amount.

Teacher professional development funding: Asked how funding would support teacher skills and curriculum improvement, Angara cited PHP 3 billion for the National Educators Academy of the Philippines (NEAP), which trains DepEd teachers.

FY2027 proposed budget and capital-outlay reductions: Representative Elmer V. Catulpos cited a decline from PHP 958.7 billion to PHP 914.2 billion in the FY2027 NEP, a stated PHP 44.4 billion decrease, and a capital-outlay decline from PHP 90.3 billion to PHP 30.5 billion. Education Secretary Sonny Angara confirmed the roughly two-thirds capital-outlay reduction.

Carryover funds, utilization timing, and possible additions: Catulpos said DepEd carried over roughly PHP 50-60 billion annually and cited PHP 54.8 billion in FY2025 funds carried into FY2026 as unspent; he asked whether the funds would expire on December 31 and whether late releases, procurement timelines, and the one-year window for three-year building projects explained the carryover. Angara explained that the school year does not align with the calendar year, so programs such as feeding are implemented and paid in the second semester and carry over. He also cited the voucher system and safeguards requiring post-service verification that learners are enrolled, to avoid paying for ghost beneficiaries. Asked how the House could help, Angara said DepEd could receive additional budget; Catulpos urged an increase. No amount or disposition was stated for that request.

Classroom construction targets and project timelines: Catulpos contrasted the FY2027 NEP target of 700 classrooms with 4,869 for FY2026 and an estimated backlog of about 145,000. He asked how many of the 24,964 classrooms funded in FY2026 would be completed in 2027 or 2028 and how many new projects would start in 2027. Angara said completion depended on local government unit (LGU) construction speed, with some governors reporting two to three months, but described a typical construction horizon of two years or longer and acknowledged delays dating to pre-pandemic projects. He said more than 30,000 classrooms should be able to begin by the first months of 2027; he did not provide the requested year-by-year completion breakdown.

FY2027 textbooks and workbooks: Catulpos said textbook procurement fell from PHP 19 billion to PHP 6 billion in FY2027, the first year every grade would use the MATATAG curriculum, and asked about the learner impact. Angara said textbooks learners could write in, practice with, and take home would be affected, and not all learners would receive workbooks. He said the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) allocated the lower amount and that DepEd could accept help from the House of Representatives.

ARAL tutor funding request and status: Catulpos asked whether DepEd had sought PHP 4-7 billion from Congress on August 4 to pay teachers serving as Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) tutors regardless of teaching load, and why it was absent from the FY2027 NEP. Angara said DepEd requested PHP 9 billion for implementation of the ARAL law, noting that Congress had provided funding through an insertion that year, but the new request was not granted; he asked for congressional help. The transcript gives Catulpos's cited earlier request and Angara's stated request as distinct figures and does not reconcile their scope. The requested funding was not approved in this exchange.

Late school-safety funding request: Catulpos asked about a separate school-safety line item requested after the Tacloban and Zamboanga incidents, including its proposed amount and whether metal detectors, CCTV, and other equipment would compete with school maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE). Angara said school MOOE was insufficient for security guards, equipment, and fencing. He explained the request was absent from the FY2027 NEP because it had already been submitted to Congress, and that DepEd was now requesting funds for identified needs after auditing more than 40,000 schools. The audit found varied gaps, including missing or damaged fences and absent security guards, sometimes supplied by local governments. No proposed amount was stated in this exchange; there was no recorded disposition of the post-submission funding request.

ARAL teacher-pay eligibility and proposed statutory amendment: Catulpos asked whether Congress amending Republic Act No. 12028, the ARAL tutor law, could help teachers receive proper payment. Angara explained the law requires six hours of teaching before teachers qualify for overload pay or an allowance. He said DepEd would interpret the requirement more flexibly so participation in certain DepEd-sanctioned activities, even outside classroom teaching, could count for ARAL tutors. Catulpos asked whether amending the law would help; Angara agreed it would clarify the issue. This was a policy discussion and proposal, not an enacted amendment.

Member's appeal against budget cuts: For the record, Catulpos acknowledged that PHP 54 billion had not been spent and that the Department of Budget and Management's reason was true, but argued that cutting PHP 44 billion was not a solution and would harm learners. He manifested support for increasing DepEd funding and asked that it not be reduced because of unspent funds or underutilization. This was an appeal and expression of support; no vote or appropriation disposition was recorded.

FY2025 DepEd unprogrammed appropriations and project awards: Representative Roberto Nazal cited PHP 15.771 billion in FY2025 Department of Education (DepEd) unprogrammed appropriations, including PHP 9.894 billion from SAGIP, and said PHP 10.387 billion remained unobligated. Angara said it had since been obligated; he first said it had been bid out, then corrected that PHP 9 billion had been awarded the prior week. He identified a list of obligated projects for the DepEd Computerization Program (DCP). Nazal asked for the awarded-project list. Angara described the awards as obligated, with disbursement to follow. Nazal closed by saying he would submit his remaining questions and documentary requests in writing and requested full answers before plenary.

School-based mental-health funding and counselor hiring: Representative Brian Raymund S. Yamsuan cited a PHP 2.9 billion GAA allocation for implementation of the Basic Education Mental Health and Well-Being Promotion Act and asked about recruiting 10,000 school counselor associates. Secretary Sonny Angara said a master's degree is not required: teachers with 18 units in behavioral science or psychology qualify, unlike guidance-counselor posts that require a master's degree. He said hiring was moving and was a priority across DepEd regions.

GMRC and K to 12 needs sent for budget-subcommittee review: Yamsuan said he and Chairperson Zamora would serve on the budget amendment and review subcommittee and asked that requests be put in writing for deliberation the following week. He cited additional needs in Good Manners and Right Conduct (GMRC) and Values Education and the K to 12 program, then expressed support for adoption of the Department of Education budget. This was a written-submission and review commitment, not a stated amount or recorded amendment vote; Angara thanked him for his support.

DepEd request and proposed augmentation: Rep. Rufus B. Rodriguez referred to DepEd's PHP 145 billion wish list for additions and that the full request was not feasible. He asked DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara to submit priority projects totaling about PHP 20 billion; Angara agreed. Rodriguez separately proposed restoring PHP 1.7 billion for six attached agencies. At the close of his remarks, he moved, in the proper time, to approve the NEP budget with an additional PHP 20 billion for the Secretary's request and PHP 1.7 billion for the attached agencies. This was a motion for later consideration; no vote or adoption is recorded in this exchange.

Classroom shortage and DPWH allocation follow-up: Rodriguez described Cagayan de Oro's acute shortage of more than 3,000 classrooms, linked to population growth and incoming families, with some pupils sharing morning and afternoon classes and others outside classrooms. He asked when DepEd's current-year classroom allocation would reach the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). Angara said DepEd had transmitted it and that procurement had begun. Rodriguez replied that the allocation had not reached Cagayan de Oro's second district; Angara said it was probably at DPWH central office. Rodriguez said he would follow up.

Support for DepEd and proposed protection of future budgets: Rodriguez praised DepEd and its attached agencies, supported additional funding and said he intended to file a bill to prevent annual reductions to the Department of Education budget. He invoked the constitutional priority given to education and the state's duty to promote access to quality education. His statement described a bill he planned to file, not an enacted law.

School counselor associate staffing, recruitment, and deployment: Rep. Alyssa Michaela "Mica" M. Gonzales asked Secretary Sonny Angara about the 1,800 school counselor associates and 221 Schools Division Office (SDO) counselors shown in his presentation, including how the 1,800 figure related to 2026 and 2027. Angara said the allocation for regional school counselor associates was the first allocation of its kind. He reported 10,000 items for 10,000 school counselor associate positions that year and said the Civil Service Commission (CSC) had issued qualifications on June 30, the final step before DepEd could begin hiring; regional offices were in the process of filling the positions. In response to Gonzales's concern that qualifications and salary could hinder hiring, Angara relayed that more than 20,000 people had applied for the 10,000 positions, so there was no applicant shortfall for these posts. He contrasted the lower qualifications for associate posts with the stricter guidance counselor requirements. Gonzales asked how hires would be deployed. Angara said DepEd would prioritize schools with a history of frequent bullying, often larger congested schools where supervision was difficult, but that placement would not be exclusive to them; he also identified schools implementing the new senior high school (SHS) curriculum. Gonzales said counselors could help guide young people and supported swift approval of DepEd's budget. Her statement was support for swift approval, not a recorded vote or approval of the budget.

FY2027 proposed NEP allocations and restoration appeals for IPED and SNED: Representative Caroline B. Agyao cited PHP 983.8 million for inclusive education, which she said covers Special Needs Education (SNED), madrasah education, Indigenous Peoples Education (IPED), multigrade education, and the Alternative Learning System; she sought increases. Secretary Sonny Angara said IPED and SNED each have their own line item. For FY2027, DepEd requested PHP 154 million for IPED and the proposed NEP granted PHP 76 million, leaving a PHP 78 million IPED restoration appeal. For SNED, DepEd requested PHP 1.39 billion and the proposed NEP granted PHP 849.9 million, with a PHP 541 million additional request pending. The PHP 983.8 million inclusive-education figure covers multiple programs and should not be treated as the sum of all their separate line items. Agyao also asked for the number of learners awaiting assessment and the number assessed but still without assistive devices; Angara's ensuing response gave the IPED and SNED budget figures, not those counts.

FY2027 school-building allocation and construction costs in remote areas: Agyao asked about bidding for FY2026 school buildings, FY2025 facilities that did not appear in FY2026, and typhoon-damaged school buildings she said were absent from the FY2027 proposed NEP. She asked whether the standard funding premise was about PHP 2.5 million per school building, including remote and mountainous locations without road access. Angara replied that the current construction-cost range was PHP 3 million to PHP 3.5 million, a figure agreed with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH); freight and foundations can raise costs in remote locations. He said geographically isolated schools without roads could also qualify as last-mile schools and receive priority under DepEd's Last Mile Schools program. Agyao asked that inaccessible schools in Kalinga and other Cordillera provinces be included; Angara said DepEd would consider it and acknowledged that PHP 2.5 million was no longer sufficient.

FY2027 classroom repair allocation and earthquake priorities: Rep. Shirlyn L. Bañas-Nograles said General Santos City had sustained earthquake damage to more than 1,400 classrooms, leaving some classes in hybrid or modular arrangements because rooms were unusable. Asked whether repairs were included in the FY2027 budget, DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara cited a PHP 5 billion repair item. He said DepEd would prioritize areas including General Santos City and Sarangani, and assured her there would be an FY2027 allocation for the affected areas.

Completion funding for stalled 2023 school-building projects: Representative Christopherson "Coco" M. Yap said 15 school buildings, covering about 40 classrooms in a 2023 project, remained stalled after two years because the funding was short. He asked for repair, rehabilitation, new construction, and completion funding, noting that painting and furniture were among the remaining needs. Secretary Sonny Angara said DepEd had a 2026 fund for completing school buildings and was checking whether the project list had already been submitted to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). If it had not, he said DepEd would include Yap's list to the extent it could be accommodated.

Typhoon repairs and possible budget increase: Yap also asked that unfinished repair and rehabilitation work from an earlier typhoon receive attention, including classrooms still under tents, and cited additional damage from Typhoon Tino in his district. Angara assured him the needs would receive top priority and said DepEd would work with him. Yap expressed support for approval of the DepEd budget and said it should be increased if possible. This was a statement of support and a request for a possible increase; no amount or amendment vote was stated in the exchange.

FY2027 AI budget line and FY2026 research funding: Representative Ma. Nina Francesca P. Lacson asked what DepEd was allocating to artificial intelligence (AI) development. Angara said the FY2027 proposed budget had no dedicated AI line item, while DepEd had carved out PHP 115 million in FY2026 for research at its artificial intelligence research center (ECAIR). He said the center had originally been intended for the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), but was discontinued there; DepEd used the opportunity to hire data scientists, whose work he said had improved analysis for teachers and the central office. Lacson proposed monitoring positive effects during the year to support requests for future funding and expressed support for DepEd; Angara agreed to follow her direction. The proposed monitoring and future funding were not an enacted appropriation.

Support for DepEd programs and a possible budget increase: Rep. Timothy Joseph E. Cayton commended DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara and the Department for its performance and work in grassroots and isolated schools. He said he would support DepEd's budget and programs, including an increase, and expressed confidence that the House Committee on Appropriations could find a way to increase it. This was support for an increase, not a motion or an adopted appropriation.

FY2027 counselor staffing priorities and Nueva Vizcaya requests: Cayton asked how proposed FY2027 school counselor associate and school division counselor positions would be distributed in Region II and his district, and whether schools with more bullying, large enrollment or no counselor would be prioritized. Angara said DepEd prioritizes areas with high bullying incidence, often urban and large schools, while making clear those are not the only eligible schools; he also cited senior high school as an initial focus. He said the regions were hiring 10,000 and promised district and regional data. In response to Cayton's inquiry about allocation to his district, Angara said there were 37 items for Nueva Vizcaya. Cayton said he would report the information to DepEd Nueva Vizcaya and submit additional requests for schools in writing to the appropriate office; Angara said DepEd would work with him.

Basic Education Facilities Fund and classroom completion and cost estimates: Rep. Jan Franz Norbert Joselito A. Chan compared the Basic Education Facilities Fund figures he cited: about PHP 85.4 billion for the current fiscal year and PHP 30.6 billion proposed for FY2027. He asked about classroom delivery against a reported nationwide shortage of around 165,000 and a 2025 target of 6,000 classrooms, with 99 reported as actual and 5,887 marked ongoing. For FY2027, he cited a 700-classroom target. Angara clarified that 700 was the number of unfinished classrooms to be completed, not the full new-construction target. He estimated the broader target at 4,000 to 5,000 classrooms: using the Department of Budget and Management's PHP 2.5 million per-classroom estimate would imply more than 6,000, but current costs of PHP 3 million to PHP 3.5 million would yield about 5,000 or more; he described about 4,900 as an optimistic estimate. Angara said classroom construction reasonably takes one and a half to two years, and longer when demolition is required.

School counselor-associate funding, deployment and mental health increase: Chan asked how many school counselor-associate positions were funded in the FY2027 proposal and compared that with the need for broad school coverage. Angara said 1,800 positions were funded in the FY2027 NEP, while DepEd had requested 39,000 positions so that each school could eventually have one. Angara estimated the full need at PHP 11.4 billion. Asked what an additional PHP 1 billion could support, he estimated 3,500 to 4,000 associates, probably about 3,600. He said deployment considers school need and size, bullying history and mental-health episodes, with equitable distribution across the country. Chan supported more DepEd funding, particularly for mental-health awareness, support and related initiatives.

San Pedro school partnerships, rehabilitation and budget support: Rep. Ann Matibag thanked Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Sonny Angara for the San Pedro public school, which she described as the province's first fully air-conditioned public school, with four floors and 18 classrooms, and a model for Laguna. She said her district had obtained a Department of Energy (DOE) sponsor to make the school solar-powered and that the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), after a committee hearing she had attended, had promised to install Wi-Fi at the school. These were Matibag's descriptions of the project and partner commitments. Matibag hoped her district could have another building rehabilitation that year to improve public schools. She manifested wholehearted support and hoped for an increase in the Department of Education's budget, saying her district had not faced difficulty requesting school projects and having them validated. Secretary Angara thanked her for her support and described the inaugurated classroom as a pioneering joint effort. Her request was not adopted in this exchange.

Proposed teacher-training agreement using DSWD funds: Referring to teacher training mentioned earlier, Matibag said she wished to have a memorandum of agreement so that she could help provide an allocation for training programs through funds from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). Angara thanked her for the joint effort and support. The exchange records Matibag's proposed arrangement and the Secretary's appreciation, not a confirmed agreement or approved allocation.

Support for a larger DepEd budget with devolution and program efficiency: Representative Javier Miguel Lopez Benitez said he encouraged and supported more funding for DepEd while also calling for devolution and greater efficiency in its programs and activities. This was general budget support and a policy position, with no specific amount or formal appropriation motion stated.

ARAL prior-year GAA, learner outcomes, and FY2027 funding request: Rep. Audrey Kay T. Zubiri asked Secretary Sonny Angara for the previous final General Appropriations Act (GAA) budget for the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) program; he answered PHP 8.9 billion. Angara said the program covered 6.7 million learners; 4.5 million moved up a reading level and more than 2 million were reading at the right level. He called the results encouraging and said the program needed proper funding, time to grow, and early intervention. Zubiri characterized 4.5 million out of 6 million as a 75 percent success rate; Angara agreed it was a high rate. Zubiri also estimated roughly PHP 1,500 per learner from almost PHP 9 billion for 6 million learners and called it a strong return on investment. Those success-rate and per-learner calculations were her framing; Angara's reported coverage was 6.7 million, while she used a rounded six-million denominator for her calculations. Zubiri asked whether DepEd was requesting PHP 16 billion for ARAL in FY2027; Angara confirmed. He explained that the earlier ARAL funding was a congressional insertion and said DBM had not included non-NEP items in the subsequent NEP, apparently expecting Congress to make the necessary insertions again. Zubiri supported increasing the program from the roughly PHP 9 billion prior level to PHP 16 billion. This was support for the request, not an approved appropriation.

Members favored increases across DepEd programs, pending committee assessment: In her closing summary, Chair Rep. Maria Carmen S. Zamora said that none of the 34 members who asked questions had proposed a DepEd budget cut; members from the minority and majority had instead called for an increase to the proposed budget. She highlighted requests for greater support for special-needs education (SNED), ILRC construction, school-based feeding to avoid reducing the feeding cycle, computerization, school buildings, the ARAL program and mental-health programs. Zamora said the Appropriations Committee would assess the merits of the discussion with the committee and find time to consider the proposals. Her summary records members' positions for committee assessment, not adopted increases.

Department of Education FY2026-to-FY2027 NEP comparison by component: Appropriations Committee Chairperson Representative Mikaela Angela B. Suansing said DepEd's total NEP allocation increased by PHP 41.3 billion from FY2026 to FY2027. By component, she cited a PHP 57.8 billion increase in Personnel Services (PS) and a PHP 16 billion decrease across Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) and Capital Outlay (CO). She identified Special Education, Special Needs Education, school-based feeding, and mental-health programs among the areas affected by the MOOE/CO reductions, noting that Congress had augmented many of them in the prior budget cycle. She said the PS increase also reflected salary-standardization and expanded career-progression costs, and asked which MOOE/CO programs might be considered for restoration.

School-based feeding NEP and GAA funding, service coverage, and utilization: Suansing compared the school-based feeding program's FY2026 NEP allocation of PHP 11 billion with the PHP 26 billion provided in the FY2026 General Appropriations Act (GAA), then said the FY2027 NEP returned to PHP 11 billion. Angara said that funding level would shorten feeding from 180 days to 120 days, end universal feeding for Grade 1 while retaining it for kindergarten, and constrain expansion of central kitchens and hot meals. On implementation capacity, he reported 45.8 percent utilization during the current school calendar, explaining that payments carry over because schools pay after the second semester; utilization had been 90 percent in 2025 and 81 percent in 2024. Suansing said the current pace, adjusted for the academic calendar, appeared on track for using the FY2026 GAA allocation.

Inclusive-education program funding and restoration to FY2026 levels: Suansing asked about the combined PHP 983.8 million budget figure for Special Needs Education (SNED), madrasah education, Indigenous Peoples Education (IPED), and multigrade programs. Angara said the combined set of programs was about PHP 190 million short of FY2026 levels. The figure covers the listed programs together; it is not presented as a separate amount for each program.

ARAL restoration and internal reallocation risk: Suansing asked whether funding for the ARAL program was in the NEP or had been added in the prior budget, and what restoring it would mean for students. Angara said all ARAL beneficiaries would be affected if the funding were not restored, but DepEd would be forced to reallocate money within its internal budget, potentially cutting maintenance funds. He described ARAL as important for students falling behind. Suansing recalled the program's use of teacher and non-teaching volunteers.

Reprioritized requests for review before plenary: Suansing said DepEd had earlier highlighted about PHP 145 billion in requests and asked Secretary Sonny Angara to submit a more streamlined, reprioritized list by Wednesday noon so the Budget Amendments Review Committee (BARC) could review institutional requests before plenary. Angara agreed to provide a reprioritization. Suansing said the House would do its best to accommodate requests within fiscal space and reiterated its support for the education cluster. No funding vote occurred in this exchange. After Suansing returned the floor, Committee Vice Chairperson Maria Carmen S. Zamora, the budget sponsor, said the committee would thoroughly study the points raised and expressed confidence in defending the Department of Education budget in plenary.

National Book Development Board (NBDB) additional funding request: Secretary Sonny Angara separately said it was requesting an additional PHP 186 million for book fairs, readership promotion, policy development, research and advocacy.

National Book Development Board (NBDB) obligations and translation grants: Roberto Nazal cited the Commission on Audit (COA)'s FY2024 year-end figures for the National Book Development Board (NBDB): PHP 32.4 million in unpaid obligations, of which PHP 5.26 million was due and demandable and PHP 27.14 million not yet due, while PHP 27.33 million in cash allocations had lapsed. He also asked about reports of unpaid translation grants, the National Book Trust Fund balance, current unpaid obligations and available funds, and when beneficiaries would be paid. NBDB Executive Director Charisse Aquino-Tugade said translation grants were paid in three tranches based on submissions and that most had already been paid. When Nazal asked whether all were paid, she confirmed they were. This answered the grant-payment concern; the exchange did not provide the other current NBDB balances he requested.

National Council for Children's Television (NCCT) additional funding request: Angara described a separate additional request of PHP 61 million for child-friendly, educational and values-oriented television content, research and information and communications technology (ICT) support.

National Museum of the Philippines additional funding request: Angara separately described an additional request of PHP 255 million for digital transformation, public access, museum engagement and component museums nationwide.

General Santos City component museum request and regional plans: Bañas-Nograles asked whether an allocation could support establishing a National Museum component museum in a building in her district in General Santos City. National Museum Director-General Jeremy R. Barns said the agency was developing a regional museum in Koronadal City and exploring extensions to places including Lake Sebu. He offered to meet with her team, learn about the premises being offered and consider whether they could be incorporated into the agency program. The exchange does not confirm a specific allocation or commitment to establish a component museum in General Santos City.

National Museum FY2027 MOOE and exhibition requests: Rep. Audrey Kay T. Zubiri asked National Museum of the Philippines Director-General Jeremy R. Barns about the museum's maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE) as new sites came online. Barns said the FY2027 NEP was solid for continued infrastructure investment, but MOOE remained roughly flat against the current and prior year and needed augmentation to activate the new museums. He identified rising utilities and guard and janitorial wages as pressures, and said the FY2027 wish list sought PHP 65 million in additional MOOE. Barns said much of it would support housekeeping, janitorial and security services, preventive maintenance, pest control, and utilities. He separately said the National Museum had no FY2027 exhibition budget and listed PHP 79 million for exhibitions as a priority wish-list proposal. Zubiri said the staffing and exhibition needs were worth considering; no appropriation outcome was recorded.

Philippine High School for the Arts (PHSA) additional funding request: Angara separately described an additional request of PHP 161 million for campus rehabilitation, facilities and equipment, student support and quality arts education.

Philippine High School for the Arts repair need and follow-up offer: Secretary Sonny Angara invited Benitez to visit the Philippine High School for the Arts (PHSA) and said the site was in need of repair. Angara offered to meet with him to discuss the school's needs, his district, and related bills.

Teacher Education Council (TEC) additional funding request: Angara separately described an additional request of PHP 498 million for salaries, teacher education and graduate scholarships, and regional hubs.

Teacher Education Council funding reduction: Roman said the Teacher Education Council (TEC) budget had fallen by PHP 203 million and noted that a substantial share supported teacher scholarships.

National Academy of Sports (NAS) additional funding request: Angara separately described an additional request of PHP 580 million for sports development, competitions, student-athlete support, curriculum and facilities.

DepEd reform presentation and learner and teacher testimony: Before presenting the budget, Education Secretary Sonny Angara asked to show a short audiovisual overview of the Department's progress and reforms; Representative Maria Carmen S. Zamora allowed the presentation. Narration and learner, parent and teacher testimonials described early literacy; a senior high school cross-track elective and a voucher that eased a family's costs; the effects of a new classroom, school internet and a revised curriculum; teacher workload, teaching and medical allowances, career growth and well-being; school feeding and student safety; delivery of learning materials; and centralized identification of school needs. President Bongbong Marcos appeared in the video, saying education remained the administration's leading priority. The testimonials illustrated how education programs affected learners, families, teachers and schools.

Opening: school safety, teacher support and learner programs: Rep. Maria Carmen S. Zamora opened by thanking teachers during National Teachers' Month and framing the hearing as an examination of how education resources translate into results for Filipino learners. She said the Department of Education (DepEd) should explain its plans to protect learners and teachers on campus and provide mental-health and psychosocial support; support teachers through career progression, medical allowance and additional personnel; improve school facilities and computerization; and serve learners through school-based feeding and government assistance and subsidies. Zamora said the committee would assess results from prior appropriations, including classrooms built, learners fed, teacher retention and children learning to read, and recognized DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara to present the department's fiscal year 2027 proposal.

Bullying prevention and learner protection: Rep. Percival Cendaña asked how DepEd would address bullying and school violence, citing the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2)'s characterization of the Philippines as the world's bullying capital and the effect of bullying on learning. Secretary Sonny Angara said DepEd was pursuing full implementation of the revised Anti-Bullying Law and reported more than 36,000 schools with functioning child protection committees. He said DepEd was accelerating hiring of school counselor associates, reducing the hiring process from three to four months to about 30 days, training teachers in schools without guidance counselors, and working with parents and communities. In response to a question about Learner Formation Officers (LFOs), Angara said all schools had an LFO.

Comprehensive sexuality education and curriculum commitment: Cendaña asked whether students would be taught proper condom use and at what age. Angara said reproductive health, pregnancy prevention, and responsible reproductive health were part of the curriculum; he said basic bodily content was taught in an early key stage and contraceptive use was taught in Grade 8. Cendaña asked DepEd to submit to the committee the curriculum standards for the rollout, and Angara agreed to do so.

ARAL participation and reported learning outcomes: Pleyto said students' learning gaps cannot be addressed simply by moving them to the next grade and urged faster ARAL implementation. Angara reported that 6.7 million students entered the program; by the end of the school year, there were 4.5 million fewer struggling readers, and 2.5 million of the 6.7 million had advanced to grade-level reading. He said teachers and principals he met also described the program as effective. Pleyto supported prioritizing children's recovery, learning and confidence, and Angara thanked him for the support.

Learning poverty and assessment results: Erice asked about progress in reducing learning poverty. Angara said examination results were embargoed until the following day, when the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) planned to release them. Erice hoped the results would improve on the OECD standard he described as a 69% average among young people worldwide. Angara recalled that the Philippines ranked last among more than 60 participating countries in 2018 and third from last in 2022, and said the Department had been working to improve performance; the new results were not yet available during the hearing.

Parent engagement question and online influences: Erice asked whether DepEd had an intervention to encourage parents, particularly in elementary school, to take a greater interest in children's education. Angara began by calling it a good question, then discussed negative applications or websites and their influence on children, noting that some countries had imposed social-media bans. The available exchange does not show a direct answer about a parent-engagement intervention.

Delivery of learning materials: Amatong said materials take a long time to reach his district, leaving students disadvantaged, and asked whether DepEd could address delays in learning materials. Angara said the department was undertaking early procurement and had closed the textbook procurement gap; it was still working to deliver textbooks on time. Delays that had previously lasted months or years had fallen to weeks, which he still considered unacceptable, and he said DepEd would keep trying to improve.

Teacher financial literacy and loan terms: Amatong asked whether DepEd had a program to educate teachers about borrowing, noting that loans remained a concern despite salary increases. Angara said DepEd encouraged financial-literacy programs and held monthly trainings, while recognizing that teachers often supported extended family. He said DepEd sought and received approval from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas to extend the maximum payroll-deduction loan term from five years to seven years; financial institutions also lowered interest rates and payment periods lengthened. He described the longer term as a more realistic financial option given that many teachers remain in service for 10, 20 or 30 years.

Allocating school buildings by district need: Amatong compared a colleague's reported backlog of about 150 with the 700-classroom shortage in his own district and asked whether districts with greater shortages could receive more school-building allocations. He said allocations had been similar each year despite differences in need. Angara agreed and committed to look into the issue and work with Amatong; no specific allocation or decision was stated.

Headteacher transition policy: Tinio raised reports that headteachers serving as school heads were being reassigned before the two years allowed for them to qualify as principals, and asked DepEd to reiterate the policy. Angara said the transition was voluntary and that the law allowed two years. When Tinio cited reports of involuntary reassignments or threats in some divisions, Angara said DepEd would reiterate the policy.

Community role in youth mental health and safety: In response to Co's concern about school violence and student mental health, Angara said harmful social media influences were one issue DepEd needed to address, while qualifying that he did not mean all social media. He said schools needed stronger community ties and asked parents, families, and barangays to be involved alongside DepEd.

Teaching vacancies, promotion transparency and alleged sale of posts: Rep. Eulogio 'Leo' R. Rodriguez asked how applicants could see teaching vacancies and assessment rankings, and raised reports that applicants had been told no plantilla item was available before later hires were made, that rankings were not disclosed, and that a teaching post had allegedly been offered for sale or an exchange. He also asked how DepEd ensured merit-based, transparent appointments and promotions. DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara distinguished teaching vacancies from promotions: he reported 58,000 vacant teaching items and said each division office's registry of qualified applicants listed vacancies. For promotions, he said applicants exceeded available funding and processing had effectively followed first-in, first-out, with regional funds going to divisions that processed cases first. On the alleged sale of posts, Angara said the department had found cases in Palawan and Eastern Samar and corrected his initial description: both school division superintendents had been dismissed, not merely suspended. He invited Rodriguez to report other cases for investigation and said selling posts was not department policy. Rodriguez said the concerns were reports he had heard and urged prompt investigation, adding that qualified teachers in his province were not receiving fair opportunities and some went abroad for work outside their training.

School-building progress and district coordination: Rodriguez said district representatives were sometimes not informed about school-building inaugurations and could not track which projects were finished or still under construction. He said he supported DepEd's budget and an increased department allocation for projects, emphasizing that infrastructure affects students' learning, safety and health. Angara thanked him and said DepEd would coordinate with him in the future.

Early childhood development: roles, funding and coordination: Dagooc asked whether Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) had moved to the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), and whether DepEd still had a role. Angara said DILG was now the lead agency and the ECCD Council was attached to it under the new law; DepEd remained a co-chair and continued curriculum development and participation in Council meetings. Asked whether assessment and support remained necessary, Angara cited rising malnutrition and stunting in Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) survey results. He said evidence favored feeding in early childhood and proposed that Congress amend the school-feeding law to address funding gaps for young children. He estimated daycare participation at 19-29% of the child population and suggested considering a full-time body to address gaps, noting that some fourth- and fifth-class municipalities lacked daycare centers. The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and National Nutrition Council handled feeding for children under five, including first-1,000-days and supplemental-feeding programs, which Angara distinguished from school feeding. In response to Dagooc's question whether the law needed amendment and funding, Angara supported increasing funds and improving monitoring. He said responsibilities were scattered among LGUs, which construct daycare centers, and DSWD, which feeds children, while no agency coordinated all the work; the ECCD Council was theoretically responsible but had limited coercive powers.

Non-teaching staff school assignments: Dagooc raised reports that one non-teaching employee covered three or four schools, making the employee's commute consume much of their pay. Angara said DepEd expected nationwide one-to-one assignments by the end of the year, ending the one-to-three arrangement. He agreed that clustering staff across distant schools was impractical, though he described it as a temporary problem that could be addressed later. Dagooc welcomed the response.

Delayed teacher ranking and Dagooc support for the budget: Dagooc described a teacher who had waited eight years after beginning the ranking process in 2018 without learning her result; after he contacted the division office, she received an item the prior week. Angara invited him to send other long-delayed cases directly to him. Dagooc said he would withhold the division office's name out of concern for the affected person. He then manifested his usual support for the DepEd budget, particularly the Department's personnel. This was a statement of support, not a formal motion or recorded appropriation approval; Zamora agreed that the wait should not have been so long.

Measuring literacy and numeracy progress: Montes asked how DepEd measured whether learning interventions were improving student outcomes. Angara named the Comprehensive Rapid Literacy Assessment (CRLA) for reading and the Early Language Literacy and Numeracy Assessment (ELNA) for foundational skills at the end of Key Stage 1, or Grade 3. He also cited the Philippine Informal Reading Inventory (Phil-IRI) and Rapid Math Assessment (RMA), administered at the start and end of the school year to assess learners in Grades 1 through 10. Literacy and numeracy knowledge-link tests were being piloted as a harmonized classroom-based assessment system for Grades 1 through 12 to track progress over time.

Alternative Learning System graduate pathways: Montes asked whether DepEd had data or target percentages for Alternative Learning System (ALS) graduates expected to re-enroll or move into higher education, technical-vocational training or formal employment. Angara said he believed the data existed but did not have it at hand, and offered to obtain it during the remaining hearing time. Montes said she would welcome the information as soon as possible.

Class suspensions, hazard criteria and resumption: Elago asked about repeated weather-related class suspensions, lost school days, late announcements, and funding and monitoring for catch-up or make-up classes. Angara said DepEd had drafted an amendment to Executive Order (EO) 66, approved the prior week by the Social Development Committee of the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DepDev); it still awaited possible presidential approval in the coming weeks. The draft would add earthquakes, air-quality limits and heat-index levels from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) to rain and wind hazards. Angara also described a proposed granular suspension-and-resumption approach: instead of a broad national, provincial or local suspension affecting every school, public and private schools in unaffected localities could resume in coordination with local chief executives, reducing learning loss. Elago noted that a school could be unaffected while students lived in flooded areas. The Secretary said affected students could be excused and use alternative delivery modes. The proposal was still a draft, not an issued policy.

Military use of school premises and weapons exposure: Elago described DepEd Order No. 32 as requiring human rights, peace-building and child protection in educational spaces. It bars military use of school premises for civic activities such as medical or dental missions and symposia, except during disasters or emergencies when civil authorities request assistance. She asked about funding and monitoring, investigation and accountability. Angara said the limits were generally respected and that armed services traditionally remained at the school gate, with shootings, knifings or other security incidents as exceptions. Elago then cited reports of children handling firearms as learning tools, even when unloaded, and urged a strict policy against civilian and especially child access to and exposure to guns.

Culturally responsive IP education and access to secondary school: Ismula asked what resources supported culturally responsive materials, community participation, Indigenous-language use and learning spaces for Indigenous learners. Angara said these were part of localizing the curriculum, with divisions and regions able to prioritize local traditions such as weaving and basket-making. He also described support for additional classrooms and integrated schools in Indigenous areas, noting that many affected communities were served through last-mile schools. He recalled an Indigenous community in Misamis where a DepEd high school enabled the tribe's first high-school graduates after earlier access had ended at Grade 3. Ismula said that in her own ancestral domain students had previously reached only Grades 1 or 2 and now reached Grade 6, and hoped a high school would eventually be established there.

Safe learning environments and school-community support: Rep. John Geesnell "Baba" Yap commended Secretary Sonny Angara and the Department of Education (DepEd) for its work, especially in Bohol. He asked whether the FY2027 budget's provision for 4,945 new classrooms and repairs to 11,140 classrooms, with Congress's full support, would produce better, safer, and more conducive learning environments nationwide. Angara said the goal included both learning outcomes and students' social-emotional learning. He cited harmful influences drawing young people toward violence, terrorism, and disrespect, and said DepEd had accelerated school counselor hiring and completed Learner Formation Officer assignments. He described a holistic approach that builds stronger communities in each school and improves DepEd's connection with parents, parent-teacher associations, and barangays so children feel safe, welcome, and eager to attend school.

Classroom-location list and project transparency: Zamora asked when DepEd would publish a complete nationwide list of classroom locations and commit to transparent public monitoring, noting that civil society groups had repeatedly sought the list. Angara replied that the classroom locations list was on the Department of Education website.

Comparing Asian education systems: Asked where Philippine public schools stood among neighboring countries, Angara gave an indicative comparison: Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia were ahead; Vietnam had overtaken the Philippines, especially in test scores; Indonesia and Cambodia were around the middle with the Philippines; Laos and Myanmar were below. He cited Vietnam's teacher development and career paths, an Indonesian teacher-feedback app, and early-childhood investment in Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia.

Computer labs and digital readiness: De Jesus asked about student access to computers. Angara said learners were behind and set a goal of at least one computer lab in each school. He cautioned against excessive screen time, noted that some countries were returning to pen and paper and limiting computer use, and said computers should be purchased consistently for school labs. He recalled reports that many Filipino learners had little familiarity with digital technology and some first used a mouse during an exam; DepEd prepared 2025 PISA exam takers to use a computer beforehand. De Jesus later restated the goal as at least one computer per classroom and said he hoped it could be achieved; Angara's stated goal was one lab per school.

School internet coverage and bandwidth: Asked about school connectivity, Angara first began to say 19 percent, then corrected himself to 99 percent of schools having internet. He said 460 schools remained without internet. Coverage quality varied: some connections reached only the principal's office, so DepEd's next goal was greater bandwidth throughout schools to support education software.

Artificial intelligence in teaching and learning: De Jesus asked how schools should integrate artificial intelligence (AI). Angara said AI could help teachers upskill where staff were teaching outside their subject expertise, assist with instruction, and support personalized learning at each learner's pace. He also cited studies suggesting AI could weaken younger children's creative thinking and critical faculties. He said DepEd would need to balance those effects by introducing AI at an appropriate age, adding safeguards, and training teachers to use it appropriately.

Teacher preparation and critical thinking in the age of AI: Roman asked whether teachers would also be trained in critical-thinking instruction, inquiry-based and facilitative methods, and project-based learning. Angara agreed that instruction needed to move beyond fact-heavy teaching, especially in the age of artificial intelligence, toward problem-solving. He said TEC was working with partners including the Philippine Normal University (PNU) on a new teacher curriculum, foundational learning and an early-child-care specialization, noting a shortage of specialists able to teach reading to young children. Roman urged upskilling teachers in these approaches so classroom learning would be more relevant and engaging.

Classroom construction performance and delivery: Suntay said the 2025 target was 6,000 new classrooms but only 99 were completed, a 1.65% accomplishment rate; he cited a 2026 target of 4,869 and asked for the 2027 target and reasons for the shortfall. Angara pointed to absorptive capacity and competing infrastructure-agency priorities, and said the President had proposed using capable local governments. DepEd had signed memoranda with more than 300 local government units (LGUs) able to bid out classrooms, but Angara said construction moved more slowly than personnel or maintenance and operating expenditure (MOOE), often over a one-and-a-half- to two-year horizon. Suntay said the 2026 clustering of school-building construction by DepEd and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), especially for LGUs unable to build on their own, had still fallen short. Angara replied that many bids were still in process and some construction had begun, and expected the situation to change over the following months. He did not give a numeric FY2027 classroom target in this exchange.

Congestion-based priorities and the classroom needs list: Suntay asked whether DepEd had a master list of school-building priorities and whether it could be published so districts could track allocations and completed work before plenary. Angara said DepEd used a congestion index to prioritize the most crowded schools, including those operating two or three shifts, especially in the National Capital Region and Regions III, IV-A and VII. He answered yes when Suntay asked whether the list could be provided before plenary. Suntay also contrasted a 166,000-classroom shortage cited in the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II) report with DepEd's then-reported figure of about 140,000. Angara said the EDCOM II figure had been updated from an older estimate; when Suntay asked if the updated figure was 143, Angara confirmed it.

Senior high school voucher controls and enforcement: Suntay asked how DepEd would prevent ghost beneficiaries in the Senior High School (SHS) voucher program. Angara described five validation layers: the Learner Information System (LIS) checks enrollment through an application programming interface; central-office staff compare billing statements with the LIS and hold payments until discrepancies are resolved; the Private Education Assistance Committee (PEAC) conducts post-audit visits to participating private schools; regional and schools-division offices inspect sites; and PEAC checks enrollment again at the end of the school year. Angara said DepEd had secured one conviction in the Regional Trial Court (RTC) and filed four cases. Suntay said the safeguards should drastically reduce recurrence, while acknowledging they could not guarantee total elimination; Angara agreed.

AI applications for learning continuity and school planning: Suntay argued that education investment should also strengthen teachers' skills and curriculum, citing China's reported AI Plus Education initiative as a comparison. Angara said ECAIR's work informed teachers and central-office problem solving, including matching school-congestion needs with private-school options in the voucher system. He described exploring a system to predict which schools an approaching typhoon would affect, allowing class suspensions to be announced the night before and learning materials to be delivered before the event rather than afterward. Suntay welcomed the prospect of helping students when classes are canceled and expressed full support for DepEd.

Severe bullying and immediate victim protection: Representative Roberto Nazal asked whether a single severe act of physical violence could qualify as bullying under the Anti-Bullying Act. DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara confirmed it, adding that bullying need not involve physical violence: a threat or words alone could qualify. Nazal asked DepEd to direct schools not to dismiss a serious incident because it was a first offense or had not been repeated, and to protect the victim immediately.

Grade 1 gender-related material: regional verification pending: Nazal said he supported reproductive-health education and protection of LGBTQIA learners from discrimination, but raised age-appropriateness concerns about a passage he said appeared in a Grade 1 book. He identified the material as Batang Makabansa: Batayang Aklat, bearing a DepEd logo, and asked whether it was an approved DepEd Grade 1 publication. Angara did not confirm approval; he said Grade 1 titles were procured at regional level and that regional directors were checking whether this was a Department-sanctioned publication. He asked Nazal to provide the source and promised to verify.

Pride Month activities: employee choice, no learner compulsion: Nazal asked whether a Pride Month memorandum allowing field offices and schools to hold activities extended to elementary students, citing a parent's complaint that a Grade 2 child had been made to participate and school advertisements. Angara said students should not be required to attend and that any such events should be voluntary. He clarified that the existing policy applied to employees who wished to participate, not learners, and promised to reiterate the policy and ensure there was no coercion or compulsion. Nazal requested a specific policy or immediate memorandum; Angara agreed to reiterate the rule as soon as possible.

Teacher payroll loans and interest complaints: Nazal questioned the legal basis for DepEd-accommodated automatic payroll deductions on Automatic Payroll Deduction System (APDS) loans of up to seven years, given the annual GAA authority for deductions and the Magna Carta restriction he cited. He also raised concerns about teachers carrying multiple loans and asked for counts and average or median take-home pay after deductions. Angara said the GAA protects a PHP 5,000 minimum net take-home pay from financial-institution deductions. He said teachers had asked for longer repayment periods and lower interest; after consulting teachers and lenders, DepEd sought and received the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP)'s opinion allowing a seven-year option. The longer term is voluntary and requires the teacher's agreement. Angara did not give the requested number of multiple-loan teachers or average/median take-home data.

Nazal reported complaints of about 3.5% interest per month, roughly 42% if simply annualized, and asked about the highest rate and any ceiling. Angara said the ceiling for accredited lenders was 9.6% per annum and that the 3.5% monthly lenders were not accredited. He acknowledged some complaints, said DepEd had no policing authority but could report lenders, and suspected those charging higher rates lacked licenses. Angara also said some teachers had altered salary documents to show the protected PHP 5,000 balance to borrow elsewhere.

GMRC teacher training, teaching materials, and implementation: Yamsuan raised teacher complaints about GMRC training. Angara described implementation as ongoing and referred the question to Learning Systems Strand head Undersecretary Carmela C. Oracion. Oracion said DepEd trains teachers in Grades 1-10, prepares sample lessons including for multigrade classes, and integrates values into other subjects, textbooks, and teachers' manuals. Yamsuan said he had heard training was a three-day webinar rather than face-to-face; Oracion agreed values education was increasingly important and welcomed collaboration, assuring him of DepEd's support.

GMRC baseline survey and public release of findings: Yamsuan asked about a December 2025 Bureau of Learning Delivery baseline survey that included focus-group discussions and teacher questionnaires, saying its results had not yet been shared. Oracion replied that results had been collected and consolidated and used to prepare materials, and said DepEd could share relevant portions with the public.

K to 12 workplace readiness, on-the-job training, and life skills: Asked whether K to 12 graduates were ready for adult life, Angara cited employer feedback that some senior high graduates seemed unprepared for an eight-hour workday. DepEd's goal was to raise workplace on-the-job training to 640 hours from the current 80-160 hours; employers said more time would help them assess and train prospective workers, potentially improving hiring prospects. Angara also described a life-skills subject covering growth mindset, work and entrepreneurship skills, and future capabilities including artificial intelligence. Yamsuan emphasized preparation for students who may not continue to college, including those from poorer communities.

School violence and inter-agency coordination: Rep. Julius Cesar "Jay" V. Vergara raised school violence and shootings, referring to recent incidents and asking for an inter-agency task force while comprehensive legislation remained unresolved. DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara agreed to coordinate and said a meeting with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and other agencies was scheduled for the following day to discuss online aspects of violence. Angara described the issue as involving school security, learner mental health, teachers' role in building community, gun-control measures and what children encounter online. He said DepEd was willing to coordinate across these connected concerns.

Archival 2017 speech and internet-safety education proposal: Vergara introduced an archival recording of his wife, Representative Rosanna "Ria" V. Vergara, explicitly identifying it as her 2017 remarks. The presentation recounted her 2017 privileged speech and House Bill 5666, a proposal to integrate internet and social-media education into public and private primary and secondary school curricula. In the archival remarks, Ria Vergara described risks to young people from internet access and gaming, including gambling and addiction, and warned about online challenges associated in the presentation with self-harm and suicide. She said she would file a bill requiring DepEd to teach internet and social-media awareness and risks. Jay Vergara said the proposal was filed annually and renewed his call for an inter-agency task force until legislation was in place.

Support for DepEd and the advocacy: Jay Vergara expressed full support for DepEd's budget. Angara thanked him and said DepEd supported the advocacy of Jay and Ria Vergara, including stronger oversight of young people's social-media use.

School safety, mental health and counselor pipeline: Rep. Shirlyn L. Bañas-Nograles raised implementation of Republic Act 12080, the Basic Education Mental Health Act, amid mental-health concerns and safety fears in public schools. She cited a stabbing incident involving 15-year-old high-school students in General Santos City that morning. She said there were about 45,000 public schools, if her data were correct, and about 1,000 licensed guidance counselors. DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara confirmed the use of guidance-counselor associates and said DepEd was working with Ateneo psychologists to develop or revise curriculum with emphasis on socio-emotional learning and a welcoming school community. Bañas-Nograles proposed customized courses and scholarships with the University of the Philippines and other public universities to help experienced associates qualify for licensure. Angara said a portion of the Presidential Merit Scholarship was being directed to DepEd needs including guidance-counselor associates and their education. She welcomed that work; it is distinct from her proposed university course pipeline.

AI applications for hazard mapping, teacher work, and reading progress: Asked what kinds of AI DepEd would use, Assistant Secretary Marcelino G. Veloso III described several applications: ECAIR's project is a hazard-mapping tool that uses data patterns; DepEd is teaching teachers to use Google Gemini and Microsoft Copilot; and its Reading Progress app measures students' oral reading and tracks omitted words. He said these tools could support teaching and administrative work. Lacson said teachers she had spoken with viewed AI positively, particularly for reducing administrative workload, and asked how they would be trained.

AI training, personalized learning, bandwidth, and adoption: Angara said more than one million faculty members and students had been trained with support from a United Nations grant and Google. DepEd was pursuing personalized learning that lets learners move at their own pace, including access for teachers to Khan Academy's Khanmigo AI tool at no charge. He said scaling these tools required strong connectivity: DepEd was aiming for a minimum 100 Mbps in many schools, had about 3,000 schools at that speed, and sought to reach 10,000 to 12,000 by the end of 2027. Difficult-to-serve locations and cost were challenges, as was some teachers' fear of the technology and loss of control. Angara said AI could help prepare lesson plans, quizzes, and checks quickly, and emphasized that teacher training was central to successful use.

GMRC and values education in curriculum and classroom practice: Representative Girlie E. Veloso said discipline and good conduct begin at home but students spend much of their day at school, where teachers and school personnel help shape character, empathy, discipline, and respect. She asked what concrete steps the Department of Education (DepEd) was taking to make Good Manners and Right Conduct (GMRC) and values education practices that students carry inside and outside school. Secretary Sonny Angara described implementation of Republic Act 11476 as ongoing: the National Educators Academy of the Philippines (NEAP) was providing three phases of teacher training for Grades 1 to 10; DepEd was developing lesson exemplars for Grades 1 to 3 with the Bureau of Curriculum Development (BCD); curriculum revisions emphasize values; and multigrade lesson plans address classes where Grades 1 and 2 study together. DepEd was also developing learning activity sheets and modules under the Dynamic Learning Program (DLP), an independent-learning approach using students' writing, pioneered in Bohol and used in other provinces, including Sarangani, and in private schools. Asked whether this was ongoing or planned for the next school year, Angara said some work was already underway, but implementation depends on teacher skill and training; with so many teachers, DepEd cannot train everyone at once and is proceeding in phases. Veloso then expressed full support for DepEd's proposed budget.

School-community safety, smartphone guidance and psychological first aid: Angara described security measures such as barcodes, closed-circuit television (CCTV), metal detectors and guards as only part of the response, and called mental-health interventions more lasting. He emphasized building school community through everyday contact between staff and learners. DepEd was considering limiting smartphone use in schools except for educational purposes; Angara also discussed recess and free time as opportunities for students to socialize away from devices. He said the Department was increasing staff training in psychological first aid. Recalling the Tacloban incident, he said at least 400 people needed immediate psychological first aid and described community and agency partners, including the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and Department of Health (DOH), helping meet the need when DepEd was overwhelmed.

Junior NBI initiative with DepEd: Connecting her remarks to digital violence, grooming, and law enforcement, Matibag relayed that her spouse had conveyed there would be an inauguration for Junior National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), with DepEd as a partner. She invited Angara to return to San Pedro, Laguna; he agreed.

Arts and culture in early learning and museum visits: Asked about arts education, museum visits, and introducing creativity during early childhood care and development (ECCD), Angara said creative pursuits would become increasingly important in the age of artificial intelligence (AI). DepEd encouraged learners to visit museums, including the Scouting Museum and Galleon Museum in the National Capital Region (NCR), and promoted music and arts at the foundational stage, from kindergarten through Grade 3. Angara said DepEd could work with Benitez to further the Gabaldon program and emphasized introducing music early. He also referred to the Philippine High School for the Arts as a site worth visiting.

Age-appropriate AI use, creativity, and individualized learning: Benitez asked whether AI should be banned for younger pupils, as in a policy he had heard about in New York, or used to support learning and literacy. Angara described AI as a fast-changing, double-edged tool and cautioned against introducing it too early, when it could displace creative thinking or overburden children. He did not call for a blanket ban: he saw a later role for AI, especially for independent learners and teachers managing large classes with students of differing abilities, where it could support personalized learning. He said DepEd must use the technology carefully while preserving children's capacity for critical thinking and creativity.

National Museum openings and planned projects: Asked which new museums were expected, Barns reported that the National Museum had opened its Baler, Aurora museum in June, the fifth museum opened under the administration in three years. He said the museum hoped to renovate the National Museum in Clark and complete sites in Paoay, Ilocos Norte; Taal, Batangas; Kalibo, Aklan; and Lake Sebu, South Cotabato, with work expected to come online from the last quarter into and throughout 2027. Zubiri welcomed the geographic reach of the plans, including Mindanao.

Support for museum programming and request to consider Bukidnon: Zubiri said the National Museum's exhibitions and staffing should accompany new construction so the sites would not become white elephants. She supported the museum and said education should include heritage as well as academics. She invited Barns to visit Bukidnon, citing the city's offered properties and seven Indigenous tribes, and asked that the area be considered for a future National Museum site. Barns said he was happy to commit to visiting Bukidnon; he did not commit to establishing a museum there.

Termination of the FY2027 DepEd hearing and suspension: Rep. Jose "Bong" J. Teves Jr. moved to terminate the committee hearing on the proposed FY2027 budget of the Department of Education (DepEd), including its attached agencies, under House Bill No. 10858. Chair Rep. Maria Carmen S. Zamora stated that the motion had been duly seconded, called for objections and, hearing none, declared it approved. Teves then moved to suspend the committee hearing at Romualdez Hall on House Bill No. 10858. Zamora stated that this motion had also been duly seconded, heard no objection and declared the hearing suspended. These actions terminated the hearing and suspended the committee proceedings; they did not approve the proposed appropriations.