Gatchalian: Higher education budget to address poor reading proficiency

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian is confident the 2026 budget for education will support efforts to boost learners’ proficiency in reading. He said the Bicameral Conference Committee-approved 2026 budget allocates ₱1.38 trillion to education, or 4.5 percent of the country’s GDP, and “a clear push for learning recovery, better classrooms and stronger support for teachers.” “This is