MANILA – The Palace has come out in defense of the decision to include the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) and the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) in the 2025 education sector budget. Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin argued that it would be unjust to leave these institutions out of the education funding, given that educational responsibilities are now distributed across various government bodies.
Bersamin explained that the constitutional language on education is broad and not limited to the Department of Education (DepEd) alone. He noted that while DepEd holds the largest share of the education budget, other agencies also play significant roles in the education sector.
The statement from Bersamin was a response to criticisms regarding the allocation of PHP1.055 trillion for education in 2025, which includes funding for the PMA and PNPA. The PMA falls under the Department of National Defense, and the PNPA is managed by the Department of the Interior and Local Government.
Bersamin emphasized that the constitutional provisions on education cover a wide range of institutions, including the Commission on Higher Education, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, and state universities and colleges. He argued that excluding the PMA and PNPA from the education sector budget simply because they are part of the military or police forces would be inappropriate.