The government is putting education front and center in the proposed 2026 national budget, aiming to strengthen investments that directly support learners, teachers, and school communities across the country, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said Thursday.

At the first-ever DepEd Classroom Summit in SMX Clark, DBM Officer-in-Charge Secretary Rolly Toledo called the 2026 National Expenditure Program (NEP) a “true education budget.”

“For the first time, 4 percent of our GDP is dedicated to education – clear proof that this government, under the leadership of PBBM (President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.), is investing in our children, our teachers, and our schools,” Toledo said in a statement.

According to DBM data, the proposed PHP928.5 billion DepEd budget earmarks PHP44.58 billion for education infrastructure, funding nearly 4,900 new classrooms, the repair of more than 9,400 existing classrooms, and the construction of 200 Last Mile Schools in geographically isolated and underserved areas.

More than PHP1.134 billion is also allocated for the restoration of heritage Gabaldon school buildings, ensuring historic structures are preserved while being made safe and functional for students.

Meanwhile, the Infrastructure for Safer and Resilient Schools Project will rehabilitate and retrofit nearly 1,300 disaster-affected schools – more than 13,000 classrooms nationwide – underscoring the government’s commitment to climate-resilient education infrastructure.

The Classroom Summit, which drew more than 1,000 participants from national agencies, local governments, civil society organizations, and development partners, including the World Bank and UNICEF, highlighted strategies to address the country’s chronic classroom backlog, strengthen procurement readiness, and introduce innovative, climate-adaptive school infrastructure solutions.

The 2026 NEP, according to the budget agency, also includes investments in essential complementary needs: furniture for more than 18,000 classrooms, electrification for more than 400 schools, and the construction of more than 300 new health and sanitation facilities, ensuring holistic, safe, and functional learning environments.

“This is how we make every peso count. Every classroom we build is a statement of hope. Every repaired structure is a promise kept. Every safe, dignified learning space is a legacy we give our children,” Toledo said. (PNA)