The Department of Education (DepEd) is seeking a larger budget and additional policies for the private education sector in 2026.
In a statement, DepEd said it is requesting P41.18 billion for next year to fund the Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education (GASTPE) program.
GASTPE helps ease congestion in public schools by allowing the transfer of some students to private institutions.
The proposed budget is expected to support nearly 990,000 junior high school grantees under the Educational Service Contracting (ESC) program, and around 1.5 million senior high school grantees under the Senior High School Voucher Program (SHS VP) in 2026.
The allocation will also fund the P24,000 annual Teachers’ Salary Subsidy (TSS) and benefit almost 120,000 senior high school learners taking Technical-Vocational-Livelihood (TVL) specializations.
According to Education Secretary Sonny Angara, these efforts aim to ensure the delivery of quality education.
He emphasized that it is their responsibility to make sure the high budget for vouchers and subsidies is used properly.
With the cooperation of the private sector, Angara said the education of more than 2 million students can be secured.
Lastly, he assured that the agency will strictly monitor the fair and proper implementation of the voucher system and other assistance programs.
(PHOTO COURTESY: DEPED)
