Teachers' group renews call on Congress to increase DepEd budget in 2021
MANILA, Philippines — The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) on Tuesday renewed its call on the House of Representatives to "substantially increase" the Department of Education's budget for 2021.
According to the group, the proposed P606.5 billion allocated to DepEd by the Department of Budget and Management, as well as the entirety of the 2021 national budget, "is not responsive and [is not] resilient to present and future crises."
“Despite claims of pushing for a new normal, President [Rodrigo] Duterte’s budget for education reflected more of the same insufficiency. Considering that the same state neglect we suffered for years mainly caused our inability to efficiently shift to remote learning and to safely and timely reopen schools this year, it’s appalling to see how little funds had been allocated to DepEd," ACT Secretary General Raymond Basilio said.
The following is a list of funding demands for the education sector made by the Alliance of Concerned Teachers:
- P16.9 billion for the funding of a 1:1 nurse to school ratio
- P3.5 billion in order to provide 1,000 sets of personal protective equipment to every school district
- P9.7 billion for minimum safety requirements such as alcohol, disposable masks, face shields and foot baths
- P7 billion to cover RT-PCR tests every 14 days for 10% of education workers
- P10 billion medical treatment fund for DepEd employees who contract COVID-19
- P27 billion in order to provide a laptop to every teacher
- P15 billion to grant P1500 internet allowance to all educators
- P33.8 billion to provide gadgets to the poorest 5% of the estimated 27.7 million estimated learners in basic education
"Likewise, bigger allotments should be given to the production of learning materials which will involve not only the printing of modules but also the procurement of textbooks that should be budgeted yearly and will continue to be a basic provision for the education agency,” Basilio added.
Realign 'problematic' allocations, prioritize essential services
"Even more enraging is to find that the people’s money—instead of going to social services and aid—will be used to further infringe on our basic rights and endanger the lives of millions, and to line the pockets of the few,” Basilio further criticized.
Given this, ACT urged the lower house to "rechannel problematic allocations for repressive and war programs of the regime, and prioritize essential services such as education."
DepEd Undersecretary for Finance Annalyn Sevilla on Tuesday told the House that the agency originally requested a budget of P1.1 trillion for 2021 but DBM approved a budget about 45% short of that amount at P606.5 billion.
The proposed national budget submitted to Congress by DBM last month revealed that Duterte is seeking a combined P20-billion increase in funds for the military and the national police in 2021.
Meanwhile, DBM denied the Department of Education's P65 billion supplemental budget request for its learning continuity plan.
Sevilla, during a virtual briefing, called the request a conservative amount, primarily meant to cover the provision of laptops to all public school teachers, as well as to fund the upholding of minimum health standards in basic education schools and offices.
To implement minimum health standards, the undersecretary further told Congress that DBM granted additional funds worth P4 billion.
However, for internet allowance and coronavirus treatment for DepEd employees, Sevilla reiterated these fall under the purview of other government agencies.
"We’re under extraordinarily difficult times, which means the demand for accountability from the government is significantly greater. The government is there to protect the rights and welfare of the Filipino people, and we demand that the people’s money be judiciously used for such,” Basilio said. — Bella Perez-Rubio
Follow this thread for updates on when classes will resume, and how those classes will be conducted.
Photo: Students wearing protective face masks have their temperatures taken while entering their college campus in Manila on January 31, 2020. AFP/Ted Aljibe
DepEd says School Year 2022-2023 "shall open on Monday, August 22, 2022, and shall end on July 7, 2023. It shall consist of 203 school days or as may be determined by further issuance/s in case of changes in the school calendar due to unforeseen circumstances."
Sen. Nancy Binay calls on the Commission on Higher Education and the inter-agency task force on COVID-19 not to "burden" students over requirements for face-to-face classes.
Higher educations students are being required to present medical insurance and other documents before participating in face-to-face classes.
“This is a cumbersome and unnecessary requirement para sa college students, considering that by law, all Filipinos are automatic members of PhilHealth. Sa totoo lang, 'di kailangang dagdagan ang proseso, dapat nga mas simplehan pa,” Binay says.
The Department of Education announces that it will increase the number of participating schools in the pilot implementation of face-to-face classes.
"The expansion of the number of pilot schools will allow a greater degree of experience among all our regions that will serve us well for the expanded phase of face-to-face classes," DepEd says.
With the approval of the Office of the President, the Department of Education is announcing that it will increase the number of participating schools in the pilot implementation of face-to-face classes.
— DepEd (@DepEd_PH) November 11, 2021
Read: https://t.co/cCqC91kZPw pic.twitter.com/Us3GvFxp1F
COVID-19 immunization has started for tertiary students in Ilocos Norte as part of the massive vaccination campaign of the Commission on Higher Education.
This in preparation for the reopening of in-person tertiary classes, CHED-Regional Office 1 said as a ceremonial vaccination of students at Mariano Marcos State University was held on Monday in collaboration with the Department of Health, Department of Interior and Local Government, the provincial government and Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital and Medical Center.
About 800 students are expected to be inoculated through the CHED immunization drive.
Prior to this, MMSU had already vaccinated 75% of its student population. — The STAR/Artemio Dumlao
President Rodrigo Duterte has authorized limited face-to-face classes for the following programs:
- Engineering and Technology programs
- Hospitality/ Hotel and Restaurant Management
- Tourism/ Travel Management
- Marine Engineering
- Marine Transportation
Commission on Higher Education Chairman Popoy De Vera, who made the announcement, said the authorization applies to "degree programs that require hands-on experience in higher education institutions under Modified General Community Quarantine."
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