The Senate Finance Committee approved the Department of Education's 2027 budget with an additional funding request aimed at supporting the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program to assist students' learning recovery.
The Senate Finance Committee has approved the proposed budget for the Philippine Department of Education (DepEd) for fiscal year 2027, with a total allocation of PHP 969.79 billion. This approval includes the agency and its attached institutions, such as the National Council for Children’s Television and the National Museum of the Philippines. Despite this, the budget is PHP 6.17 billion lower than the amount stated in the 2027 National Expenditures Program (NEP).
Significantly, during budget hearings, DepEd requested an additional PHP 147.93 billion to fund various initiatives, most notably the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program. The ARAL program, a remediation effort aimed at helping students improve essential skills such as reading and arithmetic, received no dedicated budget in the current NEP. DepEd sought PHP 15.63 billion specifically for this program.
Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian and Senator Joel Villanueva expressed concern over the lack of ARAL funding under the existing budget, emphasizing the urgency of supporting students who continue to face learning gaps. Gatchalian highlighted the program’s proven effectiveness, noting that the zero allocation was shocking, while Villanueva underscored the need to address the remediation requirement of approximately 13 million students.
The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) clarified that while the ARAL Program does not have its own line item, it is funded indirectly through budget allocations for textbooks and instructional materials. To promote transparency and effective monitoring, the Senate panel proposed establishing a distinct budget line for ARAL.
The ARAL Program’s Year 1 report indicates positive outcomes, with 1.37 million learners from Grades 1 to 10 no longer identified as struggling learners and around 730,000 students now able to read at grade level. Besides ARAL, additional budget requests cover personal improvement, learning environment upgrades, learning support and wellbeing, inclusive education, and governance initiatives.
The attached agencies of DepEd also seek an additional PHP 1.24 billion in funding to support their respective mandates. The Senate’s approval is subject to further discussions and submission of requested documentation.
This budget deliberation highlights the Philippine government’s commitment to addressing educational challenges exacerbated by recent disruptions and underscores ongoing efforts to prioritize learning recovery for the nation’s youth.
Sources referenced:
- https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/1006162/senate-oks-deped-s-2027-budget-p147-93b-more-asked-for-aral/story/