ADDITIONAL CLASSROOM FOR LEARNING

ASUNCION N. CABRERA

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has approved the release of P303.5 million to construct 120 classrooms across the country with the goal of providing a more suitable learning environment for Filipino students and instructors. The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Department of Education (DepEd) made this request concurrently. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has emphasized the need to enhance learning facilities to enhance the welfare of students and assist teachers in obtaining the greatest instructional tools, particularly for those living in distant or difficult-to-access places. He believes that a fully equipped and designed classroom may generate a healthy learning environment. The DBM therefore acknowledged the importance of empowering the education sector in order to pave the way for a solid path of economic recovery and prosperity. Pursuant to the DBM, education provides an opportunity for every Filipino to enhance his or her standard of living. Education also helps us attain actual prosperity. However, it is also a shared responsibility to work jointly to bring the country's economy back to full health. Let us continue to invest in education," the DBM stated. Funds were approved for disbursement under Batch 2 of Basic Education Facilities (BEF) for Calendar Year (CY) 2023. Among the documentary criteria presented was a list of schools certified by the DepEd Undersecretaries for School Infrastructure and Facilities. The DepEd's 2023 Special Provisions budget of P15.7 billion is now being used to construct, replace, and complete school buildings and technical vocational laboratories. DepEd obtained the highest financial allocation in the education sector under the proposed National Expenditure Program (NEP), with P758.6 billion. This budget allocation is intended to allow the education department to build a total of 7,879 new classrooms and laboratories, and to renovate 10,050 existing classrooms and purchase additional learning facilities.

-oOoTHE AUTHOR IS TEACHER II AT CADUANG TETE NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL,MACABEBE PAMPANGA CLUSTER VII