Philippines budget proposes steep cut to early childhood development funding for 2027

In the 2027 budget proposal, the Early Childhood Care and Development Council’s funding is cut to P123.84 million, a 65% decrease from the P356.79 million allocated in 2026. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. emphasized the importance of early childhood development, but the budget provides no money for local government units to convert existing daycare centers into child development centers, a process required by Republic Act No. 12199.

ECCD Executive Director Teresita Inciong warned that the lack of funds will severely affect the conversion effort, with thousands of barangays still without CDCs. The DepEd’s school-based feeding program is also reduced to P11.43 billion, prompting calls for an additional P19.30 billion to maintain 180-day coverage. Meanwhile, the ECCD Council’s remaining budget focuses on operational costs such as capacity-building, management, and accreditation, while a P227 million scholarship fund for child development workers is retained.