More than 2.4 million students are expected to benefit from government subsidies for private education in School Year 2026–2027.
This comes as the government expands support for low-income learners enrolled in private schools.
In a statement, the Department of Education (DepEd) said around 990,000 junior high school students will be covered by the Educational Service Contracting (ESC) program, while about 1.47 million senior high school students are set to receive aid through the Senior High School Voucher Program (SHS-VP).
These subsidies fall under the Expanded Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education (E-GASTPE) program, which aims to provide financial assistance to private school students and salary support to teachers.
According to Education Secretary Sonny Angara, the initiative seeks to help families cope with school-related expenses while also addressing congestion in public schools.
(PHOTO COURTESY: DepEd)