Education to get P1.38 T in 2026 budget, highest ever

The proposed P5.2-trillion national budget for 2026 is “fiscally sound and socially responsive,” Senate finance committee chair Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian said yesterday as the chamber resumed plenary debates on next year’s spending program.

- By NEIL JAYSON SERVALLOS

Gatchalian described the budget as historic, citing the largest-ever allocation for education at P1.38 trillion and a record P385.97 billion for defense.

“Development does not rely solely on bridges, roads and buildings, the security of our communities is equally important,” he noted in Filipino.

Health care funding has also been strengthened, with the Zero Balance Billing Program rising to P62.6 billion from the P53.3-billion National Expenditure Program proposal to reduce patients’ out-of-pocket expenses.

Major social programs will likewise receive significant increases: P101.8 billion for the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program to include about 500,000 additional near-poor households; an extra P8.2 billion for social pensions to cover 663,000 waitlisted senior citizens and boosted funding for the supplementary feeding program to reach more than 1.8 million children under five.

Support for overseas Filipino workers will grow as well, with the AKSYON fund under the Department of Migrant Workers doubling to P2.4 billion.

The agriculture sector will get an additional P500 million to build more Food Hubs aimed at linking farmers directly with consumers and retailers.

“We have analyzed the budget down to the last detail to come up with policies that are fiscally sound, socially responsive, and humane,” Gatchalian said.