The Department of Education (DepEd) is proposing ₱61.02 billion in direct operating funds for public schools nationwide in 2027, according to the proposed 2027 National Expenditure Program (NEP). The amount represents more than double the approximately ₱30 billion in direct school operating funds reported for 2022.
The proposed allocation is part of DepEd's overall ₱975.96-billion budget for Fiscal Year 2027. The department's proposed budget is 5.11% higher than its FY 2026 NEP level.
For schools, however, one of the most important changes is not simply the size of the funding pool. DepEd is also moving toward a Simplified Normative Funding Formula (SNFF) designed to make school-level operating allocations more closely reflect enrollment and basic operational requirements.
For teachers, school heads, parents, and families following Philippine education developments, this means the discussion is increasingly shifting from simply asking how much money is allocated to asking how school operating funds are calculated and distributed.
What Is the ₱61.02 Billion MOOE Allocation?
Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses, commonly called MOOE, are funds used to support the day-to-day operational requirements of public schools.
The proposed 2027 school-level MOOE is ₱61.02 billion, compared with ₱60.89 billion under the 2026 General Appropriations Act (GAA). That means the year-to-year increase from the enacted 2026 allocation is relatively modest—about ₱130 million.
The bigger change becomes visible when the figure is compared with 2022, when direct operating funds for public schools were around ₱30 billion. On that longer five-year comparison, the proposed 2027 amount is more than twice the 2022 level.
This distinction is important. Saying that school MOOE has more than doubled since 2022 does not mean that schools are receiving an additional ₱61.02 billion on top of their existing funds in 2027. Rather, ₱61.02 billion is the proposed total school-level operating funding pool for 2027.
How Much MOOE Could Schools Receive Per Learner?
Under the proposed 2027 allocation, per-learner operating support is also set to increase across the different school levels.
The reported proposed figures are:
- Elementary schools: ₱2,982 per learner
- Junior high schools: ₱2,744 per learner
- Senior high schools: ₱3,558 per learner
For comparison, the 2026 figures were ₱2,792 for elementary, ₱2,631 for junior high school, and ₱3,264 for senior high school.
The trend has been upward in recent years. Elementary per-learner MOOE, for example, increased from ₱1,389 in 2024 to ₱2,140 in 2025 and ₱2,792 in 2026 before reaching the proposed ₱2,982 level for 2027.
Junior high school allocations increased from ₱1,844 in 2024 to ₱2,201 in 2025 and ₱2,631 in 2026. Senior high school allocations moved from ₱2,306 in 2024 to ₱2,784 in 2025 and ₱3,264 in 2026.
These figures illustrate why school enrollment matters when determining operating requirements. A school serving more learners generally has different recurring operational demands from a much smaller school.
What Is the Simplified Normative Funding Formula?
One of the major changes accompanying the proposed 2027 school funding is the full implementation of the Simplified Normative Funding Formula, or SNFF.
DepEd describes the approach as a way of simplifying the allocation process while taking school-level information and basic service requirements into account. The new approach uses factors such as enrollment, school-level data, the cost of MOOE-related items, and minimum service standards.
The goal is to move away from a system that could involve complicated fixed parameters and toward a more straightforward method for determining the operational resources needed by individual schools.
In practical terms, the formula is intended to connect funding more closely with the actual characteristics and requirements of schools.
Why Does the New Funding Formula Matter?
School budgets have a direct connection to everyday operations.
Public schools have recurring needs involving utilities, supplies, maintenance, minor operational requirements, and other expenses necessary to keep learning environments functioning.
A funding formula that considers enrollment and baseline requirements can potentially make the distribution process more responsive to differences between schools.
For school administrators and teachers, the significance is therefore not only the headline amount of the national allocation. The way the funding is calculated can affect how much operational support an individual school receives.
DepEd has said that simplifying the formula is intended to reduce unnecessary bottlenecks and allow school administrators and teachers to focus more on teaching and school operations.
How Does the 2027 School Funding Fit Into the Larger DepEd Budget?
The proposed ₱61.02 billion in school-level MOOE is only one component of the Department of Education's much larger proposed 2027 budget of ₱975.96 billion.
It is also important not to confuse the school MOOE figure with another ₱61.02-billion figure mentioned by the Department of Budget and Management.
In a September 5, 2026 announcement, DBM reported that ₱61.02 billion of the net increase in DepEd's Personnel Services funding was associated with higher funding for teachers and other DepEd personnel. That is a different budget item from the ₱61.02 billion proposed for direct school-level MOOE.
Keeping these two figures separate makes the 2027 education budget easier to understand.
Is the ₱61.02 Billion Already Final?
No.
As of September 28, 2026, the ₱61.02 billion figure is part of the proposed FY 2027 National Expenditure Program. The DBM has submitted the proposed national budget to Congress, where the spending plan undergoes legislative scrutiny and deliberation before the final General Appropriations Act is enacted.
Therefore, the figures discussed here should be described as proposed 2027 allocations, rather than guaranteed final amounts.
The official DBM FY 2027 NEP documents are available as part of the government's published budget materials.
What Could This Mean for Public Schools?
If approved and implemented as proposed, the 2027 school-level MOOE allocation would continue the longer-term expansion of direct operational funding for public schools.
The more immediate change for schools is the combination of increased per-learner support and the implementation of the Simplified Normative Funding Formula.
For parents and families, the practical question is how these budget decisions translate into everyday school conditions: functioning facilities, essential supplies, utilities, maintenance, and other basic operational requirements.
For teachers and school heads, the allocation formula matters because operational funding can affect how schools respond to their day-to-day needs.
For Filipinos following education policy from home or overseas, the proposed 2027 budget provides another useful indicator of where public-school operating resources are being directed.
The Bottom Line on DepEd's 2027 MOOE Proposal
The proposed ₱61.02 billion in direct school-level MOOE for 2027 marks a significant increase compared with the approximately ₱30 billion reported for 2022. However, compared with the ₱60.89 billion provided under the 2026 GAA, the proposed 2027 school MOOE is only slightly higher.
The other major development is the full implementation of the Simplified Normative Funding Formula, which is intended to make school funding more responsive to enrollment and baseline operational requirements.
Because the 2027 budget remains a proposal as of September 28, 2026, the final allocation will depend on the legislative budget process and the eventual enacted General Appropriations Act.
For now, the key numbers to remember are simple: ₱61.02 billion in proposed direct school operating funds, ₱975.96 billion in proposed DepEd funding, and higher proposed per-learner MOOE across elementary, junior high, and senior high schools.
The important story is not only how much is budgeted, but also how those funds reach individual schools and how effectively they support teachers and learners.
Sources: Department of Budget and Management (DBM), Department of Education (DepEd), and Philippine news reports published in September 2026. The 2027 figures remain proposed until the national budget process is completed.