The proposed 2027 National Expenditure Program (NEP) provides funding for the construction of 6,587 new classrooms, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said, clarifying reports that the government would build only 700 classrooms next year.

The DBM issued the clarification late Monday after ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio said during a budget hearing that the government’s “targeted construction of classrooms” for 2027 was 700.

Some reports subsequently interpreted the figure to mean that the proposed 2027 spending plan would fund only 700 new classrooms, down from the 4,869 target for 2026.

The DBM said the interpretation was inaccurate.

Under the proposed 2027 NEP, funding is provided for the construction of 6,587 new classrooms, while the 700 figure refers only to the number of classrooms that the Department of Education (DepEd) expects to complete within the 2027 budget year.

“The 700 figure refers specifically to DepEd’s commitment on the number of classrooms it expects to complete within the 2027 budget year. It does not represent the total number of classrooms proposed to be funded or undertaken under the FY 2027 NEP,” the DBM said in a statement.

The remaining classrooms will likewise be funded, with construction set to begin in 2027. However, DepEd does not expect all of them to be completed within the same budget year due to required construction timelines.

The proposed PHP976 billion DepEd budget accounts for 13.55 percent of the government’s PHP7.2 trillion proposed national spending program for 2027.

Of the proposed DepEd allocation, PHP973.4 billion is earmarked for the Office of the Secretary, while more than PHP2.5 billion is intended for attached agencies.

Other major allocations include PHP38.12 billion for Government Assistance and Subsidies, which covers programs such as the Senior High School Voucher Program; PHP31.74 billion for new school personnel positions; and PHP30.55 billion for the Basic Education Facilities Fund. (PNA)