Developments in the basic education sector.
Recently, both Houses of Congress passed the Basic Education Voucher Assistance Act, which will formally implement voucher subsidies across all levels of basic education, from Kindergarten to Grade 12.
This law will cover not only low-income families, but will also extend financial assistance coverage to qualified students from middle-income families.
Moreover, it also aims to alleviate overcrowding in public schools by allowing students from congested campuses or areas lacking nearby public schools to enroll in participating private schools.
Education Secretary Sonny Angara commended the move, which he said is a program that the Department of Education (DepEd) is ready to implement through strengthened assistance system for private schools.
He noted that the law aligns with DepEd’s internal reforms under DepEd Order No. 11, series of 2026, which updated the framework for the Enhanced Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education (E-GASTPE).
“This legislation provides a pragmatic solution to public school constraints while giving families more equitable access to quality schooling,” the education chief said.
By expanding the voucher framework, the department stated, they are also building more sustainable partnerships with private educational institutions that are always integral to the DepEd’s “national strategy for human capital development.”
“The assistance must reach the families who need it most. These subsidies are meant to keep children in school,” Angara added.
The Bureau of Private Education will also be officially established within DepEd under the new law to ensure more formal oversight and further strengthen DepEd’s existing initiatives regarding assistance management and quality assurance for private schools.
This also addresses the need for a dedicated mechanism within DepEd to address the concerns of the private education sector.
Previously limited to Junior and Senior High School, tuition assistance under E-GASTPE has now been consolidated into a single system—encompassing the Educational Service Contracting (ESC), Senior High School Voucher Program (SHS-VP), and Teachers’ Salary Subsidy (TSS).
The new policy also includes an increase in TSS support for qualified private school teachers from PHP18,000 to PHP24,000 per year to help maintain the quality of instruction.
The expanded program will also prioritize poor families, Indigenous Peoples (IP) communities, and students in Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDA).
Under the proposed FY 2027 budget, DepEd has proposed a total budget of PHP 4.34 billion for 2,632 participating private schools nationwide in this program for School Year 2027–2028.
Kindergarten component covers 41,717 students with an allocation of PHP 559 million, while Grades 1 through 6 are allotted PHP 559.69 million per grade level to serve 41,769 students each.
Meanwhile, PHP 427.8 million is allocated for the Teacher Salary Subsidy (TSS), benefiting 17,825 qualified private school teachers nationwide.
Initially, the goal is to provide assistance to over 292,000 elementary students and nearly 18,000 private school teachers.
Meanwhile, there are also anti-fraud provisions in this new law, whereas DepEd will implement a five-level billing validation system to safeguard public funds against “ghost beneficiaries.”
It will also have stricter measures, wherein the filing of fraudulent claims will be punishable as estafa under the Revised Penal Code, in addition to a fine of up to PHP500,000 and the mandatory restitution of funds.
