2014 DepEd budget to fill gaps

A DEPARTMENT of Education (DepEd) official is optimistic of addressing the 2010 backlog in teachers, classrooms, textbooks, school seats, and water and sanitation facilities if its proposed 2014 budget will be approved.

Education Asst. Secretary Tonisito Umali told Cebu Daily News yesterday that the proposed P337.95 billion budget will help address the backlog issues before the agency can focus on the K+12 program.

book ratio

“We have to address the problem of textbooks to achieve the ideal ratio of one book  to one student ratio,” said Umali, who was in Cebu to attend the 25th anniversary celebration of the Asian College of Technology.

The proposed 2014 budget has  a significant increase to this year’s P293.4 billion.

“With the 2014 budget, we hope to create another 33,000 new teacher items to regularize LGU (local government unit) hired kindergarten volunteers,” he said. /Correspondent Apple Ta-as