P1 Billion Reallocated to Fund Repairs for Disaster-Damaged Schools in 2026 Budget

Senator Sherwin "Win" Gatchalian revealed that P1 billion will be shifted from unprogrammed appropriations to programmed allocations in the proposed 2026 national budget to finance repairs of school buildings damaged by natural disasters.

This announcement came during the plenary review of the Department of Finance (DOF) budget, where Senate Deputy Majority Leader Risa Hontiveros inquired about provisions for repairing schools impacted by events such as typhoons and earthquakes.

"Historically, schools have been covered under the National Indemnity Insurance Program (NIIP), but I have not heard any updates following typhoons Tino and Uwan or recent earthquakes," Hontiveros stated.

Gatchalian, who chairs the Senate Committee on Finance, explained that the proposal involves transferring P1 billion from the P2 billion allocated under the Government Service Insurance System’s NIIP in unprogrammed funds into programmed funds for the upcoming year.

"We will move P1 billion from unprogrammed to programmed funds to ensure that repair works are adequately financed," Gatchalian said.

Currently, the Department of Education (DepEd) can already claim insurance reimbursements from the GSIS for damages sustained during recent calamities. These include typhoons Uwan and Tino, as well as significant earthquakes that affected several provinces.

"The DepEd can now secure insurance payouts for classroom repairs," he added, noting that the GSIS has reserved a large sum of P2 billion for premium payments.

However, Gatchalian pointed out that the claims process tends to take at least one year due to the extensive requirements involved. Post-calamity, DepEd must conduct onsite assessments, estimate repair costs, and submit documentation for GSIS validation.

"Typically, it takes over a year for claims to be settled. This delay results in classrooms remaining unusable," he explained. "That is why the proposed budget also includes an increased allocation for repairs and maintenance, so existing classrooms can be restored and utilized promptly."