With the proposed budget for education facing cuts, Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano challenged the Department of Education (DepEd) to find a major reform that could improve the country’s education system in 2027 without relying solely on increased spending.
“If we keep doing and expecting different results it won’t happen, but sometimes you have to have a radical change. There has to be this one thing that can be done in 2027,” Cayetano said during DepEd’s budget briefing for its proposed 2027 budget on October 16, 2026.
Cayetano noted that the proposed education budget had declined from P961 billion under the 2026 General Appropriations Act to P916 billion in the 2027 National Expenditure Program and P910 billion in the proposed General Appropriations Bill.
He urged lawmakers to find additional funding while calling on DepEd to make the most of its available resources. Cayetano stressed that even with budget constraints, smarter and targeted spending could bring substantial improvements in learning outcomes.
“How do we spend more but spend smarter? Let me leave that challenge to all of us. Hopefully we can increase your budget, but even given that limitation, how do we drastically improve our education system? I hope it will come out here [during this budget briefing] in the Senate,” he said.
Cayetano also raised the possibility of reconsidering the K to 12 program, proposed funding packages for local government units (LGUs) to build schools in overcrowded areas, and called for including sports, culture and the arts in the education cluster.
He also pointed to disparities in resources between the Philippine Science High School and regular public schools, as well as the high dropout and stunting rates in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
With less than two years left in the current administration, Cayetano emphasized the need for concrete reforms to address long-standing gaps in the education system and ensure better learning outcomes for Filipino students.
“As we end this administration, [let’s] throw everything into education. Hope [that] the momentum is there and hope whoever takes over in the next administration does even a better job,” the senator said.
Hinamon ni Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano ang Department of Education (DepEd) na magpatupad ng malaking reporma upang mapabuti ang sistema ng edukasyon sa bansa sa 2027 sa gitna ng pagbaba ng budget para sa sektor.
Iginiit ni Cayetano na kailangang baguhin ang mga nakasanayang paraan upang makamit ang mas magandang resulta sa pagkatuto ng mga estudyante.
“If we keep doing and expecting different results it won’t happen, but sometimes you have to have a radical change. There has to be this one thing that can be done in 2027,” sabi ni Cayetano sa budget briefing ng DepEd para sa proposed 2027 budget nitong October 16, 2026.
Binanggit ni Cayetano na bumaba ang education budget mula P961 bilyon sa ilalim ng 2026 General Appropriations Act (GAA) tungo sa P916 bilyon sa 2027 National Expenditure Program (NEP) at P910 bilyon sa proposed General Appropriations Bill (GAB).
Dahil dito, hinimok niya ang mga mambabatas na humanap ng karagdagang pondo habang hinihikayat ang DepEd na gamitin nang mas maayos ang kasalukuyang budget.
Ayon kay Cayetano, hindi sapat ang basta pagdaragdag ng pondo kung walang malinaw na plano kung paano ito gagamitin upang mapataas ang antas ng pagkatuto ng mga mag-aaral.
“How do we spend more but spend smarter? Let me leave that challenge to all of us. Hopefully we can increase your budget, but even given that limitation, how do we drastically improve our education system? I hope it will come out here [during this budget briefing] in the Senate,” sabi niya.
Kabilang sa mga mungkahi ni Cayetano ang muling pagsusuri sa K to 12 program, pagbibigay ng pondo sa mga lokal na pamahalaan (LGU) upang makapagtayo ng mga paaralan sa mga lugar na siksikan ang mga estudyante, at pagsama ng sports, culture at arts sa mga programang pang-edukasyon.
Binigyang-pansin din niya ang malaking pagkakaiba sa mga pasilidad at pondong natatanggap ng Philippine Science High School kumpara sa mga regular na pampublikong paaralan.
Ipinunto rin ng senador ang mataas na bilang ng mga estudyanteng humihinto sa pag-aaral at ang problema sa stunting o pagkaantala ng paglaki ng mga bata sa Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
Para kay Cayetano, kailangan ng mga kongkretong hakbang upang matugunan ang matagal nang problema sa edukasyon at matiyak na mas maraming estudyante ang makapagtatapos at magkakaroon ng sapat na kaalaman at kasanayan.
Sa nalalabing panahon ng kasalukuyang administrasyon, hinimok niya ang pamahalaan na ituon ang mas malaking pagsisikap sa pagpapabuti ng edukasyon upang maipagpatuloy at higit pang mapalakas ng susunod na administrasyon ang mga repormang ito.
“As we end this administration, [let’s] throw everything into education. Hope [that] the momentum is there and hope whoever takes over in the next administration does even a better job,” wika ng senador.
