Senator Alan Peter Cayetano on Thursday called for the immediate restoration of funding for the Department of Education’s (DepEd) Basic Education Facilities program, emphasizing its importance in providing safe and accessible learning spaces for millions of Filipino students.
“According to UNESCO, physical infrastructure is essential because it significantly impacts children’s enrollment, attendance, completion rates, and even learning achievements,” Cayetano said in a written manifestation read for him by Senator Pia Cayetano, Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Finance, during the deliberation on DepEd’s 2025 budget on November 7, 2024
Senator Alan said cuts to DepEd’s school rehabilitation and repair fund would severely limit the government’s ability to address classroom congestion and repair damaged facilities.
Without adequate funding, he explained, the government would struggle to create safe and effective learning spaces for students.
Senator Cayetano noted that these challenges, compounded by the damage from extreme weather events and climate change, “call for a firm commitment to rehabilitate and improve our education facilities.”
He also pointed out the increased funding in the General Appropriations Bill for new school construction while resources for repairs were cut.
“Despite the urgent need for repairs and rehabilitation, the proposed budget of P6.132 billion for school building repairs under NEP 2025 was slashed by P2 billion to P4.132 billion in the General Appropriations Bill,” he said.
The senator, who chairs the Senate Committee on Higher, Technical, and Vocational Education, pointed out in his manifestation that while temporary measures, such as double and triple-shift schedules, allow more students to attend school, they compromise the quality of education by reducing instruction time.
“Research shows that this is merely a patch-up or temporary solution that does not fully address the problem of classroom congestion,” he wrote.
In his appeal, Senator Cayetano called for “maximum utilization and efficiency” in rebuilding and improving school infrastructure.
The senator also emphasized in his manifestation that investing in repairs and renovations is not just a budgetary issue but a matter of public safety and educational equity.
Senator Pia Cayetano expressed her support, saying she will do her best and aim to at least restore P1 billion.
“If our colleagues will join me, then let’s try to restore the entire P2 billion,” she added. |
