Teachers have expressed concerns that the newly approved 2025 budget may “violate” the Constitution, citing issues with funding allocations that they argue could undermine educators' rights and constitutional mandates.
“It is clear in our Constitution that education shall have the largest share of the budget, and for a specific reason: teachers,” the Teachers' Dignity Coalition (TDC) said in a statement issued on Jan. 2.
TDC referenced the provision in Article XIV, Section 5 (5) of the Constitution, which states: “The State shall assign the highest budgetary priority to education and ensure that teaching will attract and retain its rightful share of the best available talents through adequate remuneration and other means of job satisfaction and fulfillment.”
This provision, TDC alleged, is “being tested” after President Marcos signed the 2025 national budget on Dec. 30.
TDC emphasized that the “budget should attract and retain the best teachers through adequate remuneration for job satisfaction and fulfillment.”
“That being so, it refers to the agencies tasked with teaching young children, especially the basic education system,” TDC National Chairperson Benjo Basas said.
Citing the presentation and computation of the Bicameral Conference Committee of Congress, as stated by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), the government complied with this mandate by allocating a total of P1.055 trillion for the Department of Education (DepEd), Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), and State Universities and Colleges (SUCs).
However, TDC noted that the computation also included the Local Government Academy (LGA), Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA), National Defense College of the Philippines (NDCP), Philippine Public Safety College (PPSC), and the Philippine Military Academy (PMA).
TDC pointed out that the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) received the highest single allocation of P1.034 trillion.
While PhilHealth remained “unallocated,” TDC lamented that the “politician-initiated” AKAP and other cash assistance programs “retained significant allocations.”
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