As the country continues with its shift to digital education, the Computerization Program of the Department of Education (DepEd) has seen a significant increase in budget allocation in its 2022 budget.

The DepEd Computerization Program (DCP) is aimed at “providing appropriate technologies to all public schools that would enhance the teaching learning process and meet the challenges of the 21st century through provision of relevant IT infrastructure, networking facilities, as well as various information systems to all levels of governance” of the department.

During the agency’s presentation of its 2022 National Expenditure Program (NEP) at the House of Representatives on Sept. 14, the DCP DepEd said that DCP received Pp 11.3 billion allocation for the 2022 NEP which is “approximately double the amount” allocated in last year’s General Appropriations Act (GAA) allocation.

As an agency, DepEd is set to receive P629.8 billion from its proposed P17.02 trillion budget for next year, Undersecretary for Finance Annalyn Sevilla said. “Overall, we have a six percent increase compared to this year’s budget. The increase actually is more on the PS or the Personnel Services,” she added.

The DepEd's 2022 NEP is composed of Ph513 billion for Personnel Service (PS), P96.6 billion for Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE), and P19.7 billion for Capital Outlay.

DepEd said that aside from the DCP, Sevilla said that the Government Assistance and Subsidies (GAS) --- including the Senior High School voucher program, and funds for the Operation of Schools (MOOE) --- received higher funding for next year.

“These are the School MOOE or the budget that will go directly to our schools, and we thank the Department of Budget and Management for increasing the MOOE at the level of 9.41 percent for Senior High School, 7.5 percent for Junior High School, and 6.4 percent for our Elementary Schools,” she added.

Meanwhile, the budget for New School Personnel Positions will also enjoy a 31 percent increase for 2022. This, after the P20 billion was allocated for additional 10,000 teaching items.

The Human Resource Development fund will also receive P1.89 billion (which is 0.12 percent compared to this year’s budget.

Meanwhile, DepEd also appropriated P358 million for the newly created program called the “Priority School Health Facilities” in response to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.