A group of education workers on Tuesday, January 6, strongly criticized the Marcos administration for vetoing P43.245 billion in the 2026 national budget, which was intended for new government employees and retirement benefits.

In a statement, the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) Philippines also denounced the Department of Budget and Management’s (DBM) “misleading and deceptive” clarification defending the veto.

“Ang daming palusot ng DBM para pagtakpan ang kalokohan ng Pangulo (The DBM has made so many excuses to cover up the President’s wrongdoing),” ACT Chairperson Ruby Bernardo said. “Malinaw na kabilang sa mga inalis na pondo at tinanggihang pirmahan ng Pangulo sa pambansang budget ang P43.2 bilyon na sanang nakalaan para sa sweldo at regular na trabaho ng mga bagong guro at kawani sa gobyerno, pati na rin ang benepisyo ng mga magtatapos na sa serbisyo (It is clear that among the funds removed and refused to be signed by the President in the national budget was the P43.2 billion originally allocated for the salaries and regular employment of new teachers and government employees, as well as the benefits of those about to retire),” she added.

Bernardo lamented that on the very first day of classes this year, the administration presented a “scrapping” of funds for its own personnel, while billions remain allocated for “corruption, for polishing the image of crooked politicians, and for repressing the people.”

Citing ACT Teachers Party-list Representative Antonio Tinio, the group noted that P10.772 billion of the vetoed amount was allocated for hiring new personnel.

This, ACT said, directly affects over 259,000 Job Order and Contract of Service workers, including more than 41,000 professors, instructors, and administrative staff in state universities and colleges, who remain trapped in contractual work with low pay and limited benefits.

Meanwhile, the group added that the remaining P32.472 billion was earmarked for terminal leave benefits of retiring civilian and uniformed personnel, including police and military members.

ACT warned that the veto would further delay or deny these benefits, citing the government’s recurring claim of “lack of funds.”

ACT also highlighted that the 2026 budget preserves hundreds of billions in questionable pork barrel allocations, including P243 billion in unprogrammed appropriations; over P200 billion in so-called “soft pork” programs like AICS, MAIFIP, TUPAD, and LGU pork; billions in infrastructure projects vulnerable to political manipulation; P11 billion in confidential and intelligence funds; and P8 billion for NTF-ELCAC projects.

Bernardo also alleged that the “much-publicized” P1.35 trillion allocation for education, supposedly equivalent to 4.4 percent of GDP, is “historically symbolic”—an indictment of decades of chronic underfunding—but remains structurally inadequate.

“While it may serve as a starting point, there is no assurance that this level of funding will be sustained in future budgets to reverse learning losses, address shortages in basic education needs, fix dilapidated facilities, and align education with the genuine needs of national development,” she said. “Without continuity, any gains will be short-lived. We reiterate our call to double the education budget to at least 6 percent of GDP,” she added.

Bernardo stressed that despite the budget veto, the administration continues to prioritize personal and political interests over public service.

“Hindi kayang iwanan ng administrasyon ang masasamang gawi at pansariling interes sa 2025 kaya sila-sila pa rin ang makikinabang sa ipinasa nilang pondo sa 2026 (The administration cannot abandon its bad practices and self-serving interests in 2025, which is why they themselves will continue to benefit from the funds they passed for 2026),” Bernardo said.

“Kaya ang New Year's resolution ng mga guro, kawani at mamamayang Pilipino, paiigtingin ang paniningil sa lahat ng sangkot sa malawakang korapsyon at magsisimula sa pinakahari nito, walang iba kundi si Marcos Jr., at pananagutin ang mga kurakot at abusado sa kapangyarihan kabilang ang mga Duterte, at ibabagsak ang dinastiyang pulitikal at burukrata-kapitalismo (That is why the New Year’s resolution of teachers, government employees, and the Filipino people is to intensify the accountability of all those involved in widespread corruption—starting with its king, none other than Marcos Jr.—and to hold accountable the corrupt and abusive in power, including the Dutertes, and to bring down political dynasties and bureaucrat capitalism),” she added.

ACT vowed to intensify efforts to hold the Marcos administration and other officials accountable for corruption and abuse of power, emphasizing the need to dismantle entrenched political dynasties and bureaucratic capitalism.