MORE FUNDS FOR MULTI-PURPOSE HALLS THAN CLASSROOMS? Sen. Grace Poe questions the allocation of more government funds for the construction of multi-purpose halls amid the rising shortage in school buildings in the country. Senate PRIB photo / Bibo Nueva España
MANILA, Philippines — Senator Grace Poe bewailed the huge “disparity” between the allocation for the constructions of multi-purpose buildings and school buildings.
At a Senate hearing on Tuesday, Poe noted the P41.19 billion funding for multi-purpose buildings under the proposed P821.107 billion budget of the Department of Public Works and Highways for 2024.
“In contrast, school buildings will get P26.12 billion but we have a shortage of 159,000 classrooms nationwide,” said Poe, who heads the Senate committee on public services.
“So why do you think this disparity?” she said, directing her questions to DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan.
Bonoan said he could only answer “on the extent of what has been included” in the DPWH’s budget.
“What I can say is this is the consolidated priority projects of all the legislative districts. This is part of their what we call local infrastructure project that we have allocated for members of Congress actually to prioritize and this is what we have consolidated,” he said.
“I agree that these are the projects,” the DPWH chief added.
His answer, however, did not satisfy Poe.
“Akalain ninyo na kulang tayo ng 159,000 classrooms pero yung budget para sa multi-purpose buildings mas malaki pa kesa pagpapagawa ng classrooms?” she went on.
(Imagine, we have a shortage of 159,000 classrooms, but the budget for multi-purpose buildings is even larger than that for constructing classrooms?)
The senator believes the DPWH should also have a say on what projects should be prioritized in a district.
“Don’t you have that discretion?” Poe asked again.
“We can always suggest, but at the end of the day, to be candid about it, it’s actually whatever the priorities for the district,” Bonoan said.
Meanwhile, Bonoan informed the committee that the DPWH has already received P15 billion allocation from the Department of Education this year for the construction of 4,758 classrooms.