Assistant majority leader and Zambales Representative Jay Khonghun stated on Tuesday that the education sector remains a top priority for lawmakers, despite claims that the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has a larger budget than the Department of Education (DepEd).
Khonghun emphasized that DepEd holds the highest priority in the hierarchy of allocations in the 2025 national budget.
“Base sa ating datos at figures sa 2025 national budget, malinaw na ang edukasyon pa rin ang may pinakamataas na pondo kumpara sa DPWH. Hindi totoo ang sinasabing mas malaki ang budget ng DPWH kaysa sa edukasyon,” Khonghun said.
“Fake news po ang kumakalat na paninira sa Kongreso. Hindi totoo na mas malaki ang budget ng DPWH kaysa sa edukasyon sa ating national budget,” he added.
According to the official budget data, DepEd’s allocation is set at P1.055 trillion, while DPWH has P1.033 trillion, with a difference of P22 billion.
“Malinaw po na hindi pinapabayaan ng administrasyon ang edukasyon. Pinakamalaki pa rin ang alokasyon para sa edukasyon dahil ito ang pundasyon ng ating kinabukasan,” Khonghun explained.
“Ang budget na ito ay tutugon sa mga pangangailangan ng ating mga estudyante, guro, at imprastruktura para sa kalidad na edukasyon,” he added.
Khonghun also highlighted that prioritizing education aligns with the constitutional mandate to allocate the largest portion of the national budget to this sector. He stressed that investing in education is crucial for developing the country’s human capital and achieving long-term development goals.
“The education sector’s funding will address critical gaps in classrooms, learning materials, and teacher support, habang patuloy nating pinapaganda ang kalidad ng edukasyon sa bansa,” Khonghun said.
“Hindi po natin binabalewala ang pangangailangan sa imprastruktura. Ngunit sa ilalim ng 2025 budget, malinaw na edukasyon pa rin ang may pangunahing pondo,” he emphasized.
Khonghun further noted that under the leadership of Education secretary Sonny Angara, the department will ensure the efficient and responsible use of the allocated budget.
“Alam namin na sa pamumuno ni Secretary Angara, matutugunan ang mga pangangailangan ng ating mga guro at estudyante,” he said.
