The Department of Education (DepEd) has partnered with the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR) and 38 local government units to speed up the modernization of school infrastructure nationwide.
Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Juan Edgardo Angara, PAGCOR Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Alejandro Tengco, and representatives from the LGUs signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) on Thursday for the program.
Under the MOA, PAGCOR will release PHP2.09 billion worth of financial assistance to 38 partner LGUs, equivalent to PHP55 million each.
In a news release, DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara said this will help address one of the perennial problems in the education sector.
“One of the biggest challenges that we face in the Department is the shortage of classrooms,” he said.
The partnership is also seen to strengthen school buildings from the effects of natural calamities.
“Patuloy natin itong nararanasan hindi lamang dahil tumatanda na ang ating mga school building; taon-taon din tayong hinahamon ng iba’t ibang kalamidad (We continuously experience this not because of aging school buildings, but we are also annually challenged by various calamities),” Angara said.
“Kaya’t napakalaking bagay sa atin ang mga partner na patuloy na sumusuporta sa layuning ito (That’s why this is a huge thing for us —those partners supporting our goals).”
Tengco said each three-story school building will have 12 classrooms equipped with chairs, tables, electric fans and person with disability (PWD)-friendly facilities. The classrooms will also have 75-inch smart televisions with amplifiers, microphones and a one-year free internet subscription.
“We want these school buildings to provide students and teachers with the facilities they need for a better learning experience, including comfortable classrooms, basic amenities and technology that can support teaching and learning,” he said in a separate statement.
The funds will be released in three tranches subject to technical compliance and progress monitoring.
Under the MOA, LGUs will oversee procurement and construction while ensuring compliance with government procurement laws and approved architectural plans.
Tengco is hopeful that the school buildings could be completed by 2027 or 2028, particularly in communities where the need for additional classrooms is most pressing.
Upon completion, DepEd will assume full ownership, administrative management, and maintenance of the facilities.
Before this agreement, DepEd signed an initial partnership with 21 LGUs in March, with each LGU set to build a three-story school building with 12 classrooms, for a total of 252 classrooms.
PAGCOR earlier earmarked an initial PHP1.37 billion for the construction of 25 public school buildings nationwide as part of the program. (PNA)
