Angara boosts school funding to strengthen classroom resources

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MAKATI CITY, 13 April 2026—Education Secretary Sonny Angara has announced a substantial increase in the public school Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) to help manage rising operational costs and enhance the quality of campus operations.

Angara said that under the 2026 budget, the Department of Education (DepEd) is prioritizing the direct delivery of funds to the grassroots level. Per learner MOOE spending for elementary public schools has climbed to PhP2,792—a significant increase from PhP2,140 in 2025 and PhP1,389 in 2024. 

Junior High Schools saw their 2026 MOOE allocation per learner rise to PhP2,631, up from P2,201 in 2025 and PhP1,844 in 2024. 

Meanwhile, Senior High School funding jumped to PhP3,264 per learner, compared to PhP2,784 in 2025 and PhP2,306 in 2024.

“Ang malaking dagdag-pondo na ito ay malinaw na mensahe ni Pangulong Bongbong Marcos na prayoridad natin ang kapakanan ng ating mga paaralan at ang pagbibigay ng sapat na resources para sa ating mga mag-aaral,” Secretary Angara said. 

“Sa pagbuhos natin ng pondo diretso sa ating mga eskwelahan, tinitiyak natin na may sapat na kagamitan at suporta ang ating mga guro at mag-aaral para magtagumpay at makamit ang kanilang buong potensyal.”

The fiscal momentum will continue in 2027, with proposed per learner allocations reaching PhP2,982 for elementary schools, PhP2,744 for Junior High Schools, and PhP3,558 for Senior High Schools.

This funding shift officially ends the old, rigid formula which used fixed amounts based on factors like the number of students, teachers, classrooms and graduates. It is more detailed but also more complicated to compute.

In its place, DepEd is fully implementing the Simplified Normative Funding Formula (SNFF), which mainly uses enrollment and basic school data to give the minimum budget a school needs to meet minimum service standards. 

It is more practical and aims to make funding fairer and faster to distribute. Instead of focusing on per capita costs, the normative approach identifies the essential resources and services every school needs to function effectively. 

DepEd said the increased allocation alongside the adoption of the SNFF is a long-term commitment to keeping learning spaces safe, functional, and well-equipped across the country.

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