The Department of Education (DepEd) has vowed to uphold inclusive learning recovery in the country, as the Senate approved its proposed budget for 2023.

The DepEd made the statement on Monday night following the Senate’s approval of the department and its attached agencies’ PHP667.18-billion proposed budget.

In a statement, the DepEd said it is grateful for legislators who ensured “sufficient funding” for the education sector.

“The Department of Education (DepEd) expresses its gratitude to the Senate of the Philippines for approving the budget of the Department and its attached agencies for the Fiscal Year 2023,” it said.

The approved budget includes a PHP581.6-million allocation for Special Education (SpEd) and PHP154.4 million for Indigenous Peoples’ Education.

“Under the leadership of Vice President and Secretary Sara Duterte, and with the renewed trust and confidence from our lawmakers, the Department is committed to effectively and efficiently utilize its funds in providing accessible, quality basic education for the Filipino youth that is both inclusive and empowering,” the DepEd said.

The department added that this funding will help the education sector as it recovers from the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.

“Amidst the various challenges confronting basic education, amplified even further by the Covid-19 pandemic, learning recovery truly requires a whole-of-nation approach… Led by our sponsor and education champion Sen Pia S. Cayetano, our honorable senators ensured that the Department will have sufficient funding to begin our road to recovery,” it said.

The approved budget, meanwhile, included the PHP150-million confidential fund, which will be used to ensure the safety and security of learners and personnel.

The DepEd has earlier insisted that the confidential fund has a “solid legal basis,” and that its implementation is timely to make sure programs are target-specific.

“Sexual abuse and all other forms of violence, graft, and corruption; involvement in illegal drugs of learners and personnel; recruitment to insurgency, terrorism, and violent extremism; child labor; child pornography; and recruitment to criminal activities, gangsterism, and financial and other scams, are just some of the pressing issues, which by their nature of being unlawful, need the support of surveillance and intelligence gathering to ensure that projects of DepEd are target-specific and will result in the broader protection of our personnel and learners,” the DepEd earlier said. (PNA)