President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has finalized the 2025 national budget, setting a new priority by allocating the largest share to the education sector. The budget, signed into law on Monday at Malacañang Palace, totals P6.326 trillion, a reduction from the initially proposed P6.352 trillion due to the President’s veto of certain line items amounting to P194 billion. Among the vetoed items, P26.065 billion were from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) projects, and P168.240 billion were from unprogrammed appropriations. As a result, the education sector now commands the highest budget at P1.055 trillion, surpassing the DPWH’s revised allocation of P1.007 trillion. This marks the first instance where both education and infrastructure budgets have reached the trillion-peso threshold, a development Finance Secretary Ralph Recto believes will positively impact the economy in 2025. The education budget is distributed among various institutions including the Department of Education, Commission on Higher Education, and several academies and colleges. Other significant allocations include P315.1 billion for the Department of National Defense, P279.1 billion for the Department of the Interior and Local Government, P267.8 billion for the Department of Health, and P237.4 billion for the Department of Agriculture. Amid concerns over budget cuts, particularly a P10-billion reduction in the Department of Education’s Computerization Program, the administration is exploring options to restore funding through unprogrammed appropriations and excess revenues, emphasizing President Marcos’s commitment to prioritizing education.
Education Tops 2025 Budget at P1.055 Trillion Following DPWH Reductions
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