Quezon City, Philippines — Multiply-Ed Philippines warns that despite an overall increase in the 2026 education budget, marginalized learners and essential classroom resources like textbooks continue to suffer significant cuts, raising urgent questions about whether funds are reaching those who need them most.
For years, the Philippines has failed to meet the global standard of allocating 6% of its gross domestic product (GDP) to education, and the proposed 2026 budget shows that gap remains wide. While the Department of Education (DepEd) is set to receive a bigger overall budget this year, textbooks and marginalized learners continue to suffer from budget cuts. Instead of strengthening inclusive education and basic education inputs, allocations are being reduced, while certain programs enjoy huge increases. This raises urgent questions about whether resources are truly being directed where learners need them most.
SIX WILL FIX
Despite significant budget gains, education spending remains far below the UNESCO recommendation of 6% of GDP. Currently, the DepEd’s budget stands at ₱928 billion, only 3.2% of GDP. To meet the benchmark, DepEd alone should receive at least ₱1.71 trillion.
This huge gap is consistent with the findings of Multiply-Ed’s grassroots monitoring of 90 senior high schools nationwide estimates that fixing input gaps for SHS alone requires ₱437.4 billion, and addressing these gaps across all public schools could reach ₱1.7 trillion—much closer to the recommended 6% goal.
LOWER TEXTBOOK BUDGET, NEGLECTED MARGINALIZED LEARNERS
Budget allocation for inclusive education programs has gone down: Special Needs Education dropped from ₱1 billion to ₱850 million, the largest cut at ₱194 million limiting resources for students with disabilities who already face barriers in accessing quality education. Indigenous Peoples’ Education was halved, from ₱154 million to ₱75 million, losing ₱79 million, reducing support for culturally responsive teaching for indigenous communities. The Madrasah Education Program, which supports Muslim learners, was also slightly reduced from ₱498 million to ₱496 million.
During the People’s Budget Review with CSOs in Congress, John Elsisura, Amplify-Ed National Campaign Coordinator, said, “Programs for Special Education, Indigenous Peoples’ Education, the Alternative Learning System, and Madrasah Education have consistently exceeded their targets, reaching hundreds of thousands more learners than anticipated. Cutting their budgets now not only penalizes this success but also denies marginalized learners the quality education they rightfully deserve.”
Beyond these programs, basic education inputs that directly shape classroom learning also suffered major reductions. A ₱1-billion cut from ₱12 billion to ₱11 billion in textbooks and instructional materials means fewer or outdated learning resources for millions of students. Learning tools and equipment decreased by ₱657 million, from ₱3.5 billion to ₱2.9 billion. The basic education curriculum was cut by ₱132 million, while physical fitness and school sports suffered a ₱256 million reduction.
BUDGET GAINERS
While these areas faced reductions, some programs gained significantly. The Computerization Program, which in 2025 had its proposed ₱10 billion budget cut down to just ₱2 billion in the GAA, is now set for a massive boost in the 2026 National Expenditures Program (NEP), jumping to ₱16 billion, a 577% increase. Personnel benefits rose from ₱14 billion to ₱70 billion, a 390% increase. TechVoc vouchers also increased by 58%, from ₱1.4 billion to ₱2.2 billion.
Multiply-Ed Philippines re-echoes its call to fix the gaps and fund the margins in line with its Inclusive Education Budget Agenda. If we are to achieve a truly inclusive education system, we must ensure that no learner is left behind and that the education budget is responsive to students’ lived experiences and actual learning needs.
