ACT Teacher’s Party-list Rep. France Castro slammed the Bicameral Conference Committee’s (bicam) decision to cut the Department of Education’s (DepEd) 2025 budget.
During the bicam’s meeting last week, the Committee slashed the education sector’s budget after the Senate and Congress had differences in the proposals made for next year’s budget allocation.
According to Castro, the PHP 12 billion worth of budget cut is a reflection of the anti-education and anti-poor policy of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s administration. She also questioned how the learning crisis in the country would be resolved if the allocated funds for the education sector were insufficient.
The bicam cut PHP10 billion from the sector’s computerization program, prompting the lawmaker to worry about the learner’s abilities to keep up with the digital age.
“Paano nga ba maiibsan ang learning crisis kung binabawasan pa ang pondo ng edukasyon? Ang P10 billion na kinat sa computerization program ay malaking dagok sa ating mga mag-aaral na desperadong makahabol sa digital age,” she said.
The lawmaker also noted how this should not be used to punish the DepEd despite the controversies that the sector faced during Vice President (VP) Sara Duterte’s tenure as Secretary. Learners, teachers, and education support personnel should not have to suffer the consequences of the anomalies that happened in previous years.
Castro called on President Marcos to restore the initial proposed budget of the DepEd and stressed how badly it is needed for students to keep up.
“This administration talks about economic recovery but how can we achieve that when we're compromising our children's future? Education is a right, not a privilege. Kung may pondo para sa confidential funds at infrastructure projects, dapat may pondo rin para sa edukasyon ng ating kabataan,” Castro highlighted.
