DBM approves P3.07B to build, repair 6,676 classrooms

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) released on Friday P3.07 billion to reduce the country’s acute shortage in school facilities through the construction or repair of 6,676 classrooms and installation of 3,274 toilets. “The Aquino administration is committed to closing the supply gap in much-needed learning facilities. The classrooms we are building or rehabilitating under the Education Department’s educational facilities fund will also be provided with complete furniture and other facilities," Budget Secretary Florencio Abad said. DBM drew from the educational facilities fund of the Department of Education. Last May, it released P7.02 billion from that source so 8,997 classrooms could be built or rehabilitated. The fund has P11.3 billion and P10.09 billion of it has so far been released. From the latest funds release, P646 million will be for public elementary and high schools in Metro Manila. The Southern Tagalog provinces of Region IV-A will get P346 million while the Bicol provinces will receive P245 million. Abad said that in the proposed budget for 2012, the Aquino administration asked Congress to give the DepEd a 54.28-percent increase to P17.4 billion for educational facilities. The proposed total DepEd budget next year is P238.8 billion, according to the DBM. — ELR/VS, GMA News