MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Education (DepEd) has requested a budget allocation of almost P25 billion to construct administration buildings as it has been aware of the need for these in public schools all over the country.
In a statement yesterday, the DepEd said it had proposed P24.98 billion as part of its 2020 annual appropriation for the construction of administration buildings, which will house the principal’s office, faculty room, guidance room, library, and school supplies and equipment storage during calamities.
It pointed out that adding such a multibillion-peso item in the proposed DepEd budget of more than P500 billion for 2020 needs preparation. Hence, legwork for the proposal had been done much earlier.
The agency said that it issued the statement in response to a string of social media posts that Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) secretary general Raymond Basilio made on June 8, where the latter claimed credit for DepEd’s proposal to allocate funds for the construction of administration buildings in its 2020 budget.
“To set the record straight, the DepEd underscores that its funding request for the construction of administration buildings was based on its awareness of the needs on the ground,” the DepEd said.
The agency added that it has already presented and defended its 2020 Tier 2 proposal before the Department of Budget and Management on May 21, before the video of a comfort room turned faculty room in a public school in Cavite province went viral and the subsequent protest actions of ACT.
“The DepEd’s request is due to the fact that its Basic Education Facilities Fund historically prioritized the construction and rehabilitation of classrooms. The DepEd is prepared to construct the said faculty rooms and other ancillary facilities when the national budget authorizes it,” DepEd said.
“The department hopes Mr. Basilio will stop misleading our teachers and the public by claiming credit for DepEd’s initiative, while portraying that the department is not doing anything about the challenges in the education sector,” it added.