Classroom. INQUIRER.net stock photo
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Education (DepEd) has approved Makati City’s distribution of school supplies to 14 public schools entangled in the local government unit’s land row with Taguig City.
“This is to officially communicate the approval of the Department of Education (DepEd) of the following requests of the City Government of Makati […] Request for permission to distribute school supplies to the fourteen (14) disputed schools, as well as the use of school facilities to be used during the distribution, “ reads the letter of DepEd to Makati City Mayor Abigail Binay.
The DepEd letter was signed by Undersecretary Michael Poa and dated August 22, 2023. The opening of School Year 2023-2024 for public schools is set on August 29.
READ: DepEd: Classes in schools entangled in Taguig-Makati row to start Aug 29
Meanwhile, on Facebook, Binay seemed to have chided the Taguig City government when she posted a copy of the letter and captioned her post with:
“Dahil hindi kayo patas lumaban, sinigurado namin na may written authority ang Makati.”
(Since you don’t play fair, we ensured that Makati has a written authority.)
“Namigay nga kayo nang walang written authority, wala kayong narinig sa amin. Pinapasok kayo sa loob ng eskwelahan at namigay ng inyong mga gamit nang walang problema. Ngayon may last minute attempt pa kayo na ipatigil ang distribution. Akala ko ba kapakanan ng mga bata ang importante?” Binay also wrote.
(You conducted your distribution of school supplies without written authority. You heard nothing from us. You were let inside the school and handed out your things without problems. Now you have a last-minute attempt to stop the distribution. I thought the welfare of the children was important?)
Taguig City started the distribution of supplies to the 14 schools on Tuesday, August 22.
INQUIRER.net has contacted the local government of Taguig for comment. It promised to issue a statement on the matter, but it has not yet been released.