The House of Representatives has retained the P1.107-trillion allocation for education and increased the health sector’s budget by P12.23 billion under its General Appropriations Bill approved on second reading.
The education allocation matches the amount proposed under the National Expenditure Program (NEP), while the health budget rose from P346.59 billion to P358.82 billion following realignments to support priority programs.
House Committee on Appropriations Chairperson Rep. Mikaela Angela B. Suansing said lawmakers preserved education funding as the government’s top spending priority while directing resources toward urgent needs in both sectors.
“Despite the realignments, the BARSc made sure to safeguard the total budget for education — ensuring that it remains the top spending priority,” Suansing said.
The House directed P10.055 billion in additional allocations to education programs covering school safety, inclusive learning, academic recovery and access to tertiary education.
Among the adjustments was an additional P2.10 billion for the Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES), along with P1.93 billion for the Basic Education Voucher Program to expand assistance to students from Kindergarten to Grade 6.
The amendments also allocated P1.77 billion for the Tulong Dunong Program, which had no funding under the NEP, to provide financial assistance to more than 100,000 beneficiaries.
School infrastructure will receive another P952 million through the Basic Education Facilities Fund, while P500 million will support the School Safety and Security Program, which also had no allocation in the NEP.
The Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning Program received P350 million to support learning recovery initiatives. Additional funding includes P50 million for the Madrasah Education Program, P75 million for Special Needs Education and P25 million for the Indigenous Peoples Education Program.
The amendments also set aside P506 million for locally funded projects in state universities and colleges, P966.65 million for the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority’s Training for Work Scholarship Program and P469.26 million for its Special Training for Employment Program.
Under the University of the Philippines System, the House added P275 million for Project NOAH, P70 million for the UP Center for Education and Development and P15 million for the UP Diliman Institute of Mathematics.
For healthcare, the House earmarked P27.36 billion in additional allocations to strengthen services and assist vulnerable Filipinos. Of this amount, P23.97 billion will go to the Medical Assistance Program to support efforts toward zero-balance billing in government hospitals and reduce patients’ out-of-pocket expenses.
The amendments also include P1.80 billion for nationally procured commodities to prevent and control communicable diseases and P1.55 billion for the Health Facilities Enhancement Program.
Suansing said the increased health allocation aims to widen access to essential medical services and ease the financial burden on Filipino families.
“Moreover, the significant increase in the funding for the health sector aims to expand access to essential healthcare services and ease the financial burden of medical expenses on Filipino families,” she added.
The education cluster covers the Department of Education, state universities and colleges, TESDA and the Commission on Higher Education. The health sector comprises the Department of Health, the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. and specialty hospitals.
Photo courtesy of Inquirer.net
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