DBM releases P575.3M for school furniture

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Budget and Management released a total of P575.3 million to purchase school tables and other furniture in the bid to improve educational facilities in the country, the state agency announced on Sunday.

Budget Secretary Florencio Abad said the fund came from the Department of Education's approved budget under the General Appropriations Act for this year. The disbursement followed the P10-billion release last month for the construction and repair of school buildings nationwide.

“Besides meeting President (Benigno) Aquino’s goal to close the longstanding classroom gap within the year, we also want to ensure that all school buildings will be equipped with enough school tables and chairs. This will help ensure that students will no longer learn their lessons in cramped classrooms, where children are forced to share chairs or remain standing just so they can attend their classes,” he said.

He added that the additional furniture will help students to focus on their lessons and improve their academic performance.

The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao will get the lion's share of the budget with P88 million. This is followed by schools in the Bicol region (P69 million) and the National Capital Region (P56 million).

DepEd said arts and trade schools, which include technical and vocational schools, will be prioritized in the allocation of newly purchased furniture.