VP DUTERTE DEFENDS OVP, DEPED 2024 BUDGETS: Vice President Sara Duterte attends the Senate Finance Subcommittees A and D hearings on the proposed 2024 budgets of the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education Monday, September 4, 2023. According to the 2024 National Expenditure Program , the proposed P2.385 billion 2024 budget of the OVP increased by 1.22 percent, while the proposed 2024 DepEd budget of P758.69 billion is 5 percent higher than this year’s budget.
As for the textbooks, Assistant Secretary Gina Gonong explained to Pimentel that the textbooks fund swelled 12 times because they are working “under the new curriculum” and because they are fully implementing the ideal textbook-student ratio of 1:1. In her opening statement at the Senate panel’s DepEd budget hearing, presiding Senator Pia Cayetano first welcomed Vice President and DepEd Secretary Duterte, the heads of the attached agencies, DepEd undersecretaries other officials and staff.
Duterte explained also that the DepEd must protect learners and personnel from the threats of insurgency, terrorism, violent extremism and gangsterism, as well as child pornography.