Gov’t urged to fast-track release of classroom construction funding

A SENATOR on Thursday called for the immediate release of classroom construction funds to local government units (LGUs), noting that further delays may slow the government’s construction goals.

“I was hoping by the end of March, the money has been downloaded so that the LGUs can start building during the summertime,” Senator Paolo Benigno A. Aquino IV, who heads the Senate Education Committee, said in a statement.

The senator added that the delayed transfer of about P65 billion for classroom construction could further lead to setbacks for the government’s goal to plug its 166,000-classroom gap.

“If they delay downloading the money and build when it’s raining, their progress will be slower,” Mr. Aquino said.

He added that a recently passed Senate Bill No. 1482 could improve classroom construction by including LGUs and nongovernmental organizations to build classrooms, noting that they can construct education facilities in just 200 days.

“The right way is that we allow LGUs to build at the same time, and is not focused on just one agency,” the senator said.

The Department of Education aims to build around 30,000 classrooms by 2028, a mandate it assumed from the Department of Public Works and Highways after a sweeping corruption scandal forced the government to strip the agency of its role in school construction. — Adrian H. Halili