MANILA, Philippines — The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Tuesday ordered local government units to assist the Department of Education (DepEd) in implementing “new normal” protocols in public schools to ensure education will continue while preventing the spread of COVID-19.
DILG Undersecretary and spokesman Jonathan Malaya said local chief executives should use the special education fund (SEF) to support DepEd’s “basic education learning continuity plan.”
“In a crisis, we need all the help that we can get at ang SEF ay tulong na itinatadhana ng ating batas para sa pagpapanatili ng matibay na pundasyon at kalidad ng edukasyon sa ating bansa. Hinihikayat natin ang LGUs na gamitin ito ngayong malaki ang kinakaharap na pagsubok ng ating sektor ng edukasyon,” Malaya said in a statement.
(In a crisis, we need all the help that we can get and the SEF is the help that the law requires to ensure that quality in education. We are encouraging LGUs to use this now that there is a big problem faced by our education sector.)
Malaya said LGUs must have a meeting with DepEd’s local school boards (LSBs) to talk about allocations for the SEF.
Section 272 of Local Government Code states that “the proceeds from the additional one percent tax on the real property collected to the SEF shall be automatically released to the LSBs.”
Malaya added that local governments must help in enrolment activities such as putting up kiosks or centers in barangays to collect and distribute enrolment forms of learners from public schools.