Complete textbook sets for K-12 learners eyed under 2026 budget — Gatchalian

MANILA, Philippines — Public school students across all grade levels may finally receive complete textbook sets starting in 2026 after lawmakers earmarked P19.5 billion for learning materials in the national budget, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said.

According to Gatchalian, the allocation is expected to address the long-standing shortage of textbooks in public schools, where students in many cases had to share limited copies.

The senator said the funding under the 2026 General Appropriations Act is intended to ensure that every learner from Kindergarten to Grade 12 has access to the books required for classroom instruction.

“Sa ilalim ng 2026 national budget, tiniyak nating wala nang mag-aaral ang kulang ang aklat. Kung dati ay ginagamit ng mahigit isang mag-aaral ang kada isang libro, hindi na ngayon,” said Gatchalian, who heads the Senate Committee on Finance.

Despite the budget support, Gatchalian stressed the need for proper implementation by the Department of Education, noting that only 14 percent of the 2025 allotment for textbooks and other instructional materials had been utilized.

During discussions at the Senate Committee on Finance, DepEd Learning System officer-in-charge Undersecretary Carmela Oracion said the department had already begun early procurement worth P7 billion.

She explained that the initial procurement covers textbooks for Grades 6, 9, and 10, the remaining levels needed to complete the nationwide rollout of the MATATAG curriculum.

Oracion also said the balance of P12 billion will be downloaded to regional offices for the next phase of procurement and distribution.

The 2026 allocation is seen as a major step in closing resource gaps in the education sector and improving students’ access to essential learning materials.