DepEd seeks P200 million for Taal school repairs

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Education (DepEd) needs an additional appropriation of up to P200 million to repair and replace school buildings damaged by the Taal Volcano eruption.

Education Undersecretary Alain del Pascua said the completion of an assessment of all the damage wrought by the Taal eruption on public schools in the affected areas has shown that these would entail funds ranging from P100 million to P200 million.

He said the DepEd’s Quick Response Fund allocation of P2 billion for 2019 had already been earmarked for the repair and replacement of school buildings damaged in previous calamities such as the earthquakes in Mindanao as well as several typhoons that hit various parts of the country last year.

Pascua said Congress and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) have to appropriate more funds to DepEd for the damge wrought by Taal.

“We will ask for it from Congress and DBM... Either as a supplemental fund or augmentation fund, so we can address all the damage to schools,” Pascua said at a press briefing with Education Secretary Leonor Briones at the DepEd Manila Division Office in Arroceros, Manila yesterday.