DepEd preparing budget ‘wish list’ for Senate

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Education (DepEd) is preparing a list of programs which it would request senators to include for additional funding in the 2023 national budget.

At a press briefing last Friday, DepEd spokesman Michael Poa said the DepEd’s finance group will come up with a “wish list” to be given to lawmakers regarding next year’s budget.

“Once the wish list is finalized, that will be sent to the Senate,” said Poa, stopping short of identifying what these programs that would require more funding are.

Last month, Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte attended the Senate budget hearing for the proposed budgets of the DepEd and the Office of the Vice President.

Last week, the House of Representatives announced the realignment of P10.5 billion to DepEd’s proposed 2023 budget, including P10 billion for the construction of school buildings and P581 billion for special education (SPED).

Poa said they have yet to receive official information regarding the realignments at the lower House.

“The Department of Education will always welcome any additional budget that can be given to us on top of what is stated in the National Expenditure Program,” he said.

The national government originally proposed a budget of P709.7 billion for DepEd next year, up from this year’s P631.7 billion. But this is lower than the agency’s original request of P848 billion.

Aside from SPED, which did not receive any allocation in the original proposal, only P5.9 billion was allocated for new school buildings – enough to build only 2,379 classrooms.

Education officials earlier estimated a shortage of 91,000 classrooms nationwide.

On SPED, which has a budget of P560 million this year, Poa said the DepEd has reallocated funds internally to ensure that there is enough funding for students with special needs.

Various groups are urging the government to significantly increase the budget for the education sector to address perennial problems and ensure the safe return of face-to-face classes.

Tourism needs bigger budget, too

For the Department of Tourism (DOT), officials voiced hope that it would receive the necessary budget to fulfill its key programs for the coming years.
Speaking at a press conference in Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon last Thursday, Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco cited that in the tourism competitiveness index, the Philippines is lagging behind in two criteria – enabling mechanisms for tourism to succeed and infrastructure.

“Hence, [there is] the need for a higher budget to be able to address these very critical criteria that will serve as a strong foundation for our tourism industry’s success,” Frasco said.

Several senators, among them Sen. JV Ejercito, are pushing for a bigger budget for the department as they noticed “meager” funding for tourism as compared to neighboring countries.

Frasco said the Philippines’ Southeast Asian neighbors such as Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia have higher budgets compared to the Philippines.

“If we are to measure the success of these countries through their budgets, then that would well perhaps explain why, notwithstanding the beauty of our destinations, we are still unable to go up to the primary positioning that our neighbors have in tourism as far as arrival numbers,” she said.

Based on the WeForum’s Travel and Tourism Development Index 2021 rankings, the Philippines ranked 75th of the 117 economies covered.

Also on Thursday, the Senate finance subcommittee approved the DOT’s P3.573-billion proposed budget for 2023 and will submit it to the plenary. – Ralph Edwin Villanueva