EDITORIAL — Funding priorities

The annual national budget is a good indication of the priorities of Congress. For 2025, the bicameral conference committee approved the dole-out programs where politicians can pose for pictures and take credit during ayuda distribution. The bicam also increased the unprogrammed appropriations in the expenditure program submitted by the executive, from the original P158.665 billion to P531.665. That’s a whopping P373 billion more for an appropriation that has become the latest incarnation of the congressional pork barrel.

Scrounging for funding to support the unprogrammed appropriations led to the impounding of supposed savings of government-owned and controlled corporations including the Philippine Health Insurance Corp., which was ordered to turn over P89.9 billion to the national treasury. The impounding of PhilHealth funds faces a legal challenge before the Supreme Court. Stopped by the SC from proceeding with the impounding, the bicam gave PhilHealth zero subsidy for 2025.

Congress’ increase of the amount proposed by the executive for the unprogrammed appropriations is also expected to be challenged before the SC, with opponents stressing that such funding acrobatics is unconstitutional.

While increasing funding for their pork barrel and ayuda distribution in an election year, lawmakers slashed the budget for the Department of Education by P12 billion. DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara, a senator before he joined the Cabinet, together with teachers’ organizations decried the hefty budget cut. Angara said P10 billion of the amount was supposed to go to the DepEd’s computerization program.

So many studies have shown the importance of education in national development and competitiveness. Most countries in this region have poured enormous resources into public education, particularly in the basic levels.

The Philippines, on the other hand, has been going in the opposite direction. From being the regional leader   in providing education and skills training, both in public and private learning institutions, the country has slid progressively since the 1960s in this critical sector. The consequences became starkly evident in the results of the two instances when the country participated in the Program for International Student Assessment, in 2018 and 2022. In both PISA exams, Filipino 15-year-old students landed at the bottom in terms of mathematics, science and reading comprehension.

Philippine education is in the ICU. The budget priorities of lawmakers, who are busy with their election prospects for 2025, show that they are unable to see this national emergency.