In a historic milestone for Philippine education, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. announced that the national government has allocated a record-breaking PhP1.345 trillion for the education sector this year, representing the largest allocation in the nation’s history.
The announcement was made during President Marcos’s keynote address at the 3rd Commencement Exercises of the West Visayas State University (WVSU) College of Law in Iloilo City, where he also led the inauguration of the university’s state-of-the-art law building.
The unprecedented PhP1.345 trillion budget accounts for 4.36 percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), marking the first time the Philippines has exceeded the global benchmark for education spending.
“This year, we have allotted over PhP1.30 trillion for the advancement of education—affirming our belief that the progress of our nation begins with the empowerment of its people,” President Marcos said. “This Administration recognizes that the strength of our justice system depends greatly on the quality of those who will serve within it. And that is why we continue to improve the field by investing in education and institutional reform.”
According to the President, this historic funding will be strategically deployed to transform the country’s basic and higher education landscape through several key initiatives:
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Expanding the Workforce: Hiring more public school teachers to significantly reduce overall workloads and improve instructional quality.
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Learning Recovery: Implementing targeted recovery programs to boost student proficiency in foundational subjects, specifically reading, mathematics, and science.
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Student Welfare: Expanding school-based feeding programs to support student health and nutrition.
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Infrastructure Development: Building and modernizing classrooms nationwide to create safer, more conducive learning environments.
As part of his visit to Iloilo City, President Marcos officially inaugurated WVSU’s new four-story College of Law building. Designed to blend academic excellence with rigorous practical training, the new facility houses six 40-capacity classrooms, a dedicated review room, offices, and two state-of-the-art moot courts.
The President emphasized that the completion of the building underscores the government’s concrete commitment to investing in the future generation of Filipino lawyers and public servants.
First Lady Louise Araneta-Marcos, who actively serves as a faculty member at the WVSU College of Law, attended the commencement and inauguration alongside the President, university leadership, and various high-ranking government officials.
