MANILA — Malacañang has ordered government agencies to fast-track procurement and hiring for education projects under the 2026 national budget, warning that delays could derail the delivery of classrooms, teachers, and learning resources despite record-high funding for the sector.
Executive Secretary Ralph Recto said the directive comes amid concerns that bottlenecks in procurement and recruitment could undermine the P1.345-trillion allocation for education — equivalent to 4.36 percent of the country’s gross domestic product — if not urgently addressed.
“Kailangan ng catch-up dito. Kaya ang utos ng Pangulo ay i-monitor ng mabuti at huwag lubayan sa paghingi ng resulta,” Recto said, citing President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to ensure close monitoring of implementation.
Recto stressed that education spending this year covers a wide range of needs — from infrastructure and teacher hiring to learning materials — all of which must be delivered within the fiscal year to benefit students on time.
To enforce accountability, Malacañang will require agencies to submit regular progress updates, likening the system to a “grading period” that will immediately flag delays and inefficiencies.
“This historic high spending should not be squandered to slow procurement. What is in the budget must leapfrog to classrooms,” the executive secretary said.
Among the priority expenditures are school buildings, hiring of teachers, and learning tools, including P120.17 million for textbooks and instructional materials, as well as the procurement of 121,000 laptops.
“The rule should be what is budgeted for one fiscal year must be delivered within one school year,” he added.
Recto acknowledged persistent delays in school construction projects and said the government is shifting strategies by involving local government units to accelerate implementation.
“There will no longer be a (Department of Public Works and Highways) monopoly on this. Let the stakeholders themselves build what will directly benefit them,” he said.
He also underscored the urgency of filling teaching posts, noting that 65,184 teaching and non-teaching positions funded under the 2026 budget are ready for immediate hiring.
“We are hiring 179 new DepEd personnel daily, merit-based, but fast-tracked. Some government vacancies can be filled later or never, but teacher hiring in areas where there are critical shortages is something that cannot be postponed,” Recto said.
For higher education, the government will continue infrastructure development in state universities serving about 1.28 million students, alongside ongoing scholarship and free tuition programs.
“Hindi sapat ang libre, dapat quality. Providing access is one thing. Kailangan mahusay din,” he said./PN
