THE DEPARTMENT of Budget and Management (DBM) has released P3.07 billion to the Department of Education (DepEd) to provide more basic educational facilities throughout the country this year, a statement said on Friday.
The budget release will fund the construction and repair of 6,676 classrooms, as well as installation or improvement of sanitation facilities in 3,274 schools.
“The Aquino administration is committed to closing the supply gap in much-needed learning facilities. The classrooms we are building or rehabilitating…will also be provided with complete furniture and other facilities,” Budget Secretary Florencio B. Abad said in the statement.
Among the main beneficiaries are the National Capital Region, which will receive P646.774 million; Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon), with P346.548 million; and Western Visayas (Aklan, Antique, Negros Occidental, Capiz, Guimaras and Iloilo), P245.72 million.
The government allocated a total of P11.3 billion to DepEd’s Basic Educational Facilities Fund (BEFF) this year.
So far, P10.09 billion has already been released. DBM released P7.02 billion from the BEFF in May to fund construction and repair of 8,997 classrooms nationwide.
DepEd will again receive the biggest budget in the P1.816-trillion proposed 2012 national budget, as the government continues to push education as a means of poverty reduction and empowerment.
The DepEd budget will total P238.8 billion in next year’s national expenditure plan, 15.2% more than the P207.3 billion allocated this year.
Social services will also receive a bulk of next year’s budget, amounting to P575.8 billion from P521.4 billion this year. — D. C. J. Jiao, Businessworld
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