In what lawmakers are calling a landmark victory for Filipino youth, the Senate has approved a record-breaking P1.038 trillion budget for the education sector, a move Senator Bam Aquino described as a “historic pivot” away from corruption-laden flood control projects and toward genuine investments in human development.
For years, education advocates warned that billions were being funneled into non-essential and politically motivated infrastructure projects, often vulnerable to inefficiency or outright misuse. But this time, Aquino and his allies succeeded in championing a major realignment of national priorities—pulling funds out of questionable public works and channeling them into classrooms, feeding programs, and college subsidies.
“This budget, the highest ever allocated for education in our history, P1.38 trillion for education, is a massive win for our youth,” Aquino declared during the Senate’s final deliberations. “Mayroon tayong P65 billion para sa 30,000 classrooms, P27 billion para sa ating school feeding program, and of course, 5.7 million Filipino students ang may libreng kolehiyo.”
One of the most dramatic shifts in the budget is the near fivefold increase in funding for classroom construction. From an initial P13.2 billion under the National Expenditure Program (NEP), the Senate raised the allocation to P65.9 billion, a staggering P52.7-billion jump.
The lawmaker stressed that the boost is essential to preventing the already alarming 165,000-classroom shortage from ballooning to over 200,000. The investment will be carried out under the newly enacted Classroom-Building Acceleration Program (CAP) Act, authored by Aquino, which streamlines construction through partnerships between DepEd, LGUs, and civil society groups.
The Senate also placed strong emphasis on student nutrition, significantly increasing the School-Based Feeding Program (SBFP) allocation from P11.7 billion to P28.6 billion. This expansion ensures 200 feeding days for all Kindergarten and Grade 1 students, and sustained targeted feeding for malnourished learners up to Grade 6.
With child malnutrition long recognized as a barrier to academic success, Aquino called the expanded feeding program “an essential investment in both health and education.”
At the tertiary level, the historic budget fully supports the continued implementation of the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act, or Free College Law, also authored by Aquino. The program guarantees 5.7 million students free tuition and miscellaneous fees across 113 State and Local Universities and Colleges.
Additional provisions include increased allowances for financially struggling students, support for nursing students shouldering RLE fees, and assistance for learners at risk of dropping out.
“Meron pa pong dagdag allowance sa mga kabataang nangangailangan, Sa mga nurse na nangangailangan ng tulong sa RLE, at siyempre yung students at risk of dropping out—meron din pong tulong,” he noted.
But even with the Senate’s overwhelming support, Aquino cautioned that the battle is not yet over. The budget must still pass through the Bicameral Conference Committee (BICAM), where changes could still be made.
“Kailangan nating bantayan. Hindi pa tapos ang laban. Kailangan nating bantayan na yung lalabas dito at mapirmahan ng Presidente ay budget na talagang mahalaga para sa Kabataang Pilipino,” he urged.
In his final remarks, Aquino framed the trillion-peso education budget as more than a financial achievement—it is a moral statement.
“Kaya sama-sama po tayo dito,” he said. “Bantayan natin ang hinaharap ng kabataan—Edukasyon, Hindi Korapsyon.”
The unprecedented allocation marks a decisive shift in national priorities—one that places trust, resources, and political will squarely behind the future of the Filipino youth.
