Senate President Win Gatchalian highlighted the Philippine education sector’s achievements in 2026, including a record ₱1.3-trillion budget, improved Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) rankings, and literacy gains under the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program.
During a Senate Finance Subcommittee B hearing on Friday, October 16, Gatchalian said the priority is to sustain these gains through adequate funding in the 2027 national budget.
“So 2026 was a good year for the education sector. We saw many positive developments. Our next challenge is how to sustain what we have started through the 2027 budget,” he said.
He credited the Department of Education (DepEd) under Secretary Sonny Angara for the country’s improved PISA performance and the ARAL Program, which helped more than 1.3 million students improve their reading and numeracy skills.
Gatchalian stressed the need for efficient spending, stronger budget utilization, and proper funding allocation to ensure education programs continue delivering results.
