Former senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan sounded the alarm on Saturday, calling for a substantial boost in the education budget. His urgent plea comes in the wake of troubling findings from the 2024 Functional Literacy, Education, and Mass Media Survey (FLEMMS) by the Philippine Statistics Authority. The survey revealed a growing number of junior high school graduates struggling to comprehend materials under new assessment standards.
“Hindi dapat kinakaltasan, dapat dinadagdagan,” Pangilinan declared in General Santos City. He stressed that cutting funds is not the solution; instead, it is time to increase budgetary support for education.
Pangilinan emphasized the dire need to invest in teachers. He urged the government to provide proper training and to ease their burden by removing administrative tasks. “Bring them out of administrative work, and hire more support staff so our teachers can focus on teaching,” he said. This approach, he pointed out, is crucial for meaningful improvement.
The Department of Education (DepEd) has already taken steps, issuing an order last year to relieve public school teachers from administrative duties. Just recently, DepEd announced the hiring of 7,062 school-based administrative support staff nationwide on contract terms, aiming to continue this support.
Pangilinan also linked hunger to the alarming dropout rates among students. “Yung libreng almusal,” he suggested as a vital intervention. “Maraming estudyante ang nagda-drop out dahil gutom. Walang learning environment kapag nagugutom ka.”
But his vision goes beyond education. If elected, Pangilinan promised to revive his push for a dedicated Department of Fisheries. He pointed out the glaring mismatch between the country’s geography and its budget priorities. “Apat sa limang bahagi ng ating teritoryo ay tubig, pero ang budget ay kabaligtaran,” he said.
He highlighted the significance of fisheries, noting thriving sardine manufacturing hubs in Zamboanga and General Santos. “Maximizing our fisheries potential calls for a specialized department,” he insisted.
Pangilinan first filed a bill for a Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources in 2019, but it stalled in the Senate. Now, he vows to bring the proposal back with renewed vigor.
Furthermore, the former senator pledged to strengthen the implementation of the Sagip Saka Act, which mandates government agencies to purchase food directly from local farmers and fisherfolk. During his meeting with the Blaan tribe in General Santos, he warned that non-compliance would have financial consequences.
“Kapag hindi nila maipakita na ini-implementa nila ang batas na ito, sasabihin ko ‘yung budget niyo, piso na lang,” he said firmly. “Hindi tayo papayag. Kailangan gumawa sila ng paraan para bumili direkta sa tamang presyo, sa mga magsasaka at mangingisda.”
With education, fisheries, and local farmers at the heart of his platform, Pangilinan is rallying for a future where support means action—and where budgets reflect real priorities that shape Filipino lives.