SEN. Panfilo Lacson called on the executive department to guard the education sector’s budget to ensure that it will always get the biggest allocation.

Lacson, during the briefing by the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) on Monday, lamented that for 2025, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) got a budget of P1.007 trillion, higher than the P977.6 billion for the education sector, which include the Department of Education (DepEd), State Colleges and Universities (SUCs), Commission on Higher Education (CHEd), and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda).

Lacson asked the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) not to be an “accessory” in violating the 1987 Constitution.

“You need to remind legislators not to realign too much because we may be violating the Constitution. When you potentially violate the Constitution, that’s a major issue,” he told Budget and Management Secretary Amenah Pangandaman in Filipino.

“Why did we allow the DPWH to get a bigger budget than the education sector? I hate to say this but the DBM became an accessory after the fact, to justify the congressional miracle where the education sector’s budget was slashed,” Lacson said.

Pangandaman said that the Constitution does not categorically define the education sector, but Lacson replied that the President’s 2026 budget message indicated the education sector’s budget covers only the DepEd, SUCs, CHEd, and Tesda., This news data comes from:http://052298.com

Under Art. XIV, Sec. 5 (5) of the Constitution, the State shall assign the highest budgetary priority to education and ensure that teaching attracts and retains the best talent through adequate remuneration and other means of job satisfaction and fulfillment.

Lacson said that to correct the shift, the DBM “added” to the education sector institutions outside the President’s budget message, such as the Local Government Academy, Philippine National Police Academy, Philippine Public Safety College, National Defense College of the Philippines, Philippine Military Academy, Philippine Science High School System, and the Science Education Institute.

Lacson reminded the DBM “to be consistent next time.” He emphasized the need for closer coordination between the legislature and the Executive Branch, especially at the bicameral conference committee where major realignments occur.

“Watch the progress of the budget bill, especially at the bicameral conference committee. We know that is where the biggest realignments occur,” he said.

Lacson to govt: Protect education budget

“My suggestion is that if Congress again mangles the budget, the President should veto the amount exceeding the budget of the education sector so that the budget of the DPWH or any other agency will not be bigger than that of the education sector, since the executive department cannot realign funds,” Lacson said.