Multisectoral cooperation: A crucial complement to government’s education initiatives

That the Philippines has a crisis in education is a given. Millions of young Filipino learners are not getting the quality of education they deserve, with all the implications on their individual futures and the future of our nation.

- VICTOR ANDRES C. MANHIT

The lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have also exacerbated the situation. Five years later, many learners are still facing challenges due to prolonged school closures, including learning loss and digital inequity.

The government has made education a priority. The proposed national budget for 2026 allocates the largest share to education, reflecting the government's commitment to learning continuity and quality. For next year’s budget proposal, education is also the biggest gainer, with the allocation being increased to P1.2 trillion from this year’s P1 trillion. If it is passed, the 2026 budget will meet the UNESCO recommendation that 4% to 6% of the country’s gross domestic product should be allotted to education.

Among the priorities the education budget seeks to address are infrastructure, teacher training, digital transformation, and learning recovery programs.

But it would be foolhardy to believe that there is a single, linear solution — like increasing the budget — to the education crisis. It would also be wrong to think that a single actor, the government, bears all the responsibility. Indeed, the fronts are varied, and the approaches must be multifaceted. And if there is one guiding principle that would help provide tangible results, it is that educating a nation is not simply the job of the government. Collaboration between the public and private sectors is necessary. A whole-of-society approach is the only way we can tackle the crisis head on.