(MANILA BULLETIN)

The P12-billion cut in the Department of Education’s (DepEd) proposed budget for 2025 is a “clear manifestation” of the administration’s anti-education and anti-poor policies, according to ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro.

In a statement, Castro claims  the government is moving away from the United Nations’ (UN) recommendation that the education budget should be six percent of a country’s gross domestic product (GDP).

“The Marcos Jr. administration is doing the opposite by slashing vital education funds," the congresswoman said.

She stressed that the budget cut was “completely unacceptable”.

"Paano nga ba maiibsan ang learning crisis kung binabawasan pa ang pondo ng edukasyon? Ang P10 billion na kinat sa computerization program ay malaking dagok sa ating mga mag-aaral na desperadong makahabol sa digital age," she emphasized.

(How can we alleviate the learning crisis if the education budget is being cut? The P10-billion cut from the computerization program is a significant setback for our students who are desperately playing catch-up in the digital age.)

Castro, a deputy minority leader, pointed out that the controversies of the previous leadership of DepEd should not equate to punishing the whole education sector.

"Hindi dapat magdusa ang mga estudyante, guro, at education support personnel dahil sa mga anomalyang ginawa ng dating secretary,” she noted.

(Students, teachers, and education support personnel should not suffer due to the anomalies committed by the former secretary.)

Castro was referring to Vice President Sara Duterte who led the DepEd from June 30, 2022 to July 19, 2024.

The Vice President and her former officials at the agency are the subject of an ongoing congressional inquiry into alleged misuse of confidential funds. 

Duterte’s Office of the Vice President (OVP) is also being investigated on the same issue.

“The answer to corruption is not to decrease funding but to strengthen accountability measures and increase support for our learners," said Castro.

ACT Teachers President and former congressman Antonio Tinio, for his part, argued that the P12-billion cut from DepEd’s budget would only compromise the future of Filipino children.

“This administration talks about economic recovery but how can we achieve that when we're compromising our children's future?" asked Tinio.

“Kung may pondo para sa confidential funds at infrastructure projects, dapat may pondo rin para sa edukasyon ng ating kabataan," he added.

(If there are funds for confidential expenses and infrastructure projects, there should also be funds for the education of our youth.)