MANILA, Nov. 20 -- The government is putting education front and center in the proposed 2026 national budget, aiming to strengthen investments that directly support learners, teachers, and school communities across the country, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said Thursday.

At the first-ever DepEd Classroom Summit in SMX Clark, DBM Officer-in-Charge Secretary Rolly Toledo called the 2026 National Expenditure Program (NEP) a "true education budget."

"For the first time, 4 percent of our GDP is dedicated to education - clear proof that this government, under the leadership of PBBM (President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.), is investing in our children, our teachers, and our schools," Toledo said in a statement.

According to DBM d...