The Philippine Educators Alliance for Community Empowerment (PEACE) Party-list hailed the inclusion by the Senate of additional funds for the retrofitting of schools in the proposed 2022 national budget.
“We thank the Senate for responding to calls for funding so that our schools may better handle the new demands of face-to-face learning. Nananalig kaming maipapasa ang panukalang ito at mapagsa-sangayunan sa bicameral conference committee,” PEACE party list president and first nominee, Marie Paz T. Abante, said.
“Let’s work on completing the list and coordinating with the concerned schools before the year ends, so that by January these schools could immediately start on the needed improvements.”
The Senate finance panel added P3.5 billion to the budget of the Department of Education and state universities and colleges in the proposed 2022 budget.
Senator Sonny Angara, who chairs the finance committee, said that the funds may be used to modify the layout and ventilation of the classrooms to fit health standards, water and sanitation facilities, and even the purchase of Covid-19 testing machines and other necessary supplies.
The funds could also be accessed for information and communication technology equipment and infrastructure development.
Abante said that the infusion of additional funds would help public schools, especially those in poorer local government units, become “COVID-19-ready.”
The long-time educator added that the Department of Education should come up with a needs-based priority list to ensure that schools in dire need of appropriate facilities could work on the necessary renovations.
“Let’s work on completing the list and coordinating with the concerned schools before the year ends, so that by January these schools could immediately start on the needed improvements,” Abante added.
