Govt to beat school opening blues on June 1

MANILA, Philippines — A Malacañang official said Monday that the government has invested heavily on eduction, which will likely minimize the hassles that usually accompany every school opening. Many schools in the country will start classes on June 1. In an article posted on www.gov.ph , Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said “the government is better prepared" for 2009 school year because the Arroyo administration has invested to improve the education sector. Students in the public schools usually face classroom, textbook and teacher shortages every school opening, which are blamed on huge cuts in the public education budget. The Arroyo administration is trying this year to end these woes. Remonde said the government built new school buildings, acquired more textbooks and beefed up the teaching force, without providing any figures. But in February this year, the Education department announced that it has embarked on a P3.1-billion school building construction program. Education Secretary Jesli Lapus said the 2009 School Building Program provides for the construction of 1,908 new classrooms, 6,322 new toilets, 2,513 repairs of existing classrooms and 194 repairs of toilets. These are targeted for completion prior to school opening in June. To ensure that these facilities can be used at the start of SY 2009-2010, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo instructed the DepEd to frontload the construction of the school buildings during the long summer vacation period. The fund will be directly released to the implementing units by the end of March 2009. Meanwhile, amid the Influenza A(H1N1) scare, Remonde said the Philippines remains “swine flu" free and that the health authorities are fortifying the country’s defense against the disease that has claimed 72 lives and sickened at least 8,480 people in 40 countries as of May 18. “Having said that, there is no reason to postpone the school opening because of the flu virus," Remonde said. - GMANews.TV