MANILA – The Department of Education (DepEd) is grateful for the move of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to increase the budget for the Senior High School Voucher Program (SHS VP) and the Educational Service Contracting (ESC).
In a statement, the DepEd said the budget hike would further improve learners’ access to quality education.
“DepEd expresses its gratitude to the DBM and the national government for their unwavering support of the voucher programs under Government Assistance and Subsidies (GAS). The Department affirms its commitment to continuously implement its voucher program efficiently and effectively,” the department said.
The DepEd noted that the SHS VP has been granted a PHP39.33-billion budget, out of the approved PHP626.18 billion Tier 1 Level to the DepEd, under the “Budget Call for the Fiscal Year 2023.”
This will cover over 1.132 million voucher program beneficiaries nationwide.
Besides this, the DBM also secured a PHP11.05-billion allocation for the ESC.
Through the said figures, the department expects to widen aid to private education institutions, with their capacity for “full payments” granted.
The SHS VP was mechanized in 2015 to provide monetary assistance to senior high school students. (PNA)
