P30B approved for rehab of damaged schools

SAFER SCHOOLS PROJECT Under the Infrastructure for Safer and Resilient Schools project with a budget of P30.56 billion, school facilities outside Metro Manila that were damaged by natural disasters from 2019 to 2023 will be repaired, rehabilitated, retrofitted and reconstructed. —Inquirer file photo

MANILA, Philippines — The National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) Board approved on Wednesday the P30.56-billion fund for the repair and rehabilitation of school facilities outside Metro Manila that were damaged by recent calamities.

In a statement, the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said the amount comprised funding for the Infrastructure for Safer and Resilient Schools (ISRS) project, the bulk of which was sourced from a World Bank loan.

READ: P363.5M needed to repair damaged Mindanao schools

The ISRS project involves the “repair, rehabilitation, retrofitting and reconstruction” of school facilities outside the National Capital Region, which were damaged by various natural disasters between 2019 and 2023.

The ISRS project aims to build classrooms that are better designed to withstand future hazard events, supposedly to ensure continuous learning in the country’s educational system and reduce disruptions.

Of the P30.56-billion total project cost, P27.50 billion will come from loan proceeds, while P3.06 billion will be the counterpart fund from the national government.

Project implementers

The project will be implemented by the Department of Education and Department of Public Works and Highways, the PCO said.

It is seen to benefit 1,282 schools, 4,756 school buildings, 13,101 classrooms and 741,038 learners.

The project involves two components: “Relatively Complex Works for School Infrastructure Recovery,” which has a budget of P19.8 billion and will cover projects in 78 of the country’s 82 provinces.

The second component, “Relatively Simple Works for School Infrastructure Recovery and Operations and Maintenance,” has a P9.65-billion allotment and will cover projects in 62 provinces.

The Neda board has also allocated P1.1 billion for “project management, monitoring and evaluation.”