Escudero to DepEd: Release funds, prepare schools for in-person classes

(FILE) Teachers Lynell Corbito and Aida Conchada prepare a classroom for the resumption of in-person classes in Tamulaya Elementary School in Polilio Island, Quezon province. —RICHARD A. REYES

MANILA, Philippines — Senatorial candidate and Sorsogon Gov. Francis Escudero on Friday lamented that teachers had to reportedly take out loans to prepare classrooms for in-person classes.

In a statement, Escudero called on the Department of Education (DepEd) to immediately release available funds to its field offices to prepare public schools nationwide for in-person classes.

“I don’t understand why teachers are getting into debt to fix their own classrooms when the DepEd has received a significant increase in its annual budget,” he said.

“Para sa isang ahensya na taon-taon ay pinakamalaki ang pondo, ayon sa Konstitusyon, nakakahiya naman yatang mga guro pa ang papagastusin natin sa pag-ayos ng mga classrooms nila,” he added.

(For an agency which has the biggest budget annually, in accordance with the Constitution, it’s embarrassing that teachers had to shoulder expenses to fix their classrooms.)

Under the 2022 national budget, the education sector was given a budget of P788.5 billion, of which P631.77 billion would go to the DepEd, Escudero noted.

He said this represents a 6.34-percent increase from the DepEd’s P594.11-billion allocation in 2021.

Escudero pointed out that this increase in the DepEd’s budget allowed the agency to increase its Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) threshold from P15,000 to P50,000 for its field offices.

In addition to this, DepEd also allotted  P1 billion for public schools to acquire televisions, speakers, laptops and other equipment needed to support blended learning in the expansion phase, he added.

“Where is the P1 billion DepEd said will be distributed to public schools to support blended learning?” Escudero asked.

“Kung may budget naman, bakit kailangang ang mga guro muna ang gumastos pagkatapos ay ire-reimburse ng DepEd regional offices? Dapat mayroong maayos at mabilis na mekanismo ang DepEd para siguraduhing ang inilaan para sa pag-ayos ng mga silid-aralan ay magagamit agad,” he stressed.

(If the budget is available, why is there a need for teachers to take money out of their pockets and reimburse them to DepEd regional offices. DepEd should have a proper and fast mechanism to ensure that funds allocated to fix classrooms are immediately being utilized.)

Teachers’ Dignity Coalition chair Benjo Basas earlier cited reports of teachers having to take out loans to buy paint, iron sheets and glass panes to prepare their classrooms.

For its part, the DepEd acknowledged that there are teachers “who are doing beyond the regular work for beautifying, enhancing and putting more things in the classroom.”

DepEd Undersecretary for Finance Annalyn Sevilla advised them to coordinate with their respective school heads for possible reimbursement.

“We are thankful to our teachers [for] their creativity and resourcefulness, but we don’t want them to be abused as well,” Sevilla had said.

/MUF