NEDA approves funds to build schools in Luzon

The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) has approved funds totaling P960 million to build schools in Luzon. NEDA’s inter-agency Investment Coordination Committee-Cabinet Committee (ICC-CC) approved the funding for the School Building Project for Basic Education (SBP4BE), which will be able to construct 680 classrooms in 170 schools in Central Luzon and Calabarzon – Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon – NEDA said in a statement Monday. "The project will employ the principal-led school-building program approach, making the recipient schools as the implementing units of the project under the supervision of their respective school division superintendents," NEDA said. The SBP4BE aims to improve the teaching-learning process by providing conducive learning environment through quality schoolrooms. The project will also supply learners with classroom furniture, according to the statement. The project, to be implemented from September 2010 to June 20111, will be supported by P800 million worth of grant from the Australian Agency for International Development and Philippine government funds. Mindanao peace process The ICC-CC also extended the grant validity of the Emergency Operations Philippines-Immediate Support to Conflict-Affected Populations in Mindanao Project that supports the Mindanao peace process by addressing food security of people in conflict areas. The project will also receive an additional grant of $27.07 million or P1.2 billion from the United Nations World Food Programme for the benefit of 900,000 people. The ICC-CC also approved the use of the World Bank loan proceeds of $13.4 million or P604 million – that remains unused – for the Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDSS) project, a poverty reduction program that enables communities to plan, implement, and monitor social projects that address specific needs, using the community-driven development approach. "The unutilized proceeds come from accumulated savings generated from better quality control systems of the project as well as austerity measures adopted by the Department of Social Welfare and Development," NEDA said. The ICC-CC extended for six months a World Bank loan for the Laguna de Bay Institutional Strengthening and Community Participation (LISCOP) to improve the environment quality of the Laguna de Bay watershed through sub-projects such as natural resource management and waste management. LISCOP will also strengthen the planning and regulatory capacity of the Laguna Lake Development Authority as well as concerned local government units. —JE, GMANews.TV