Department of Public Works and Highways-Bicol (DPWH-5) Regional Director Virgilio Eduarte on Wednesday ordered the agency’s district engineering offices (DEOs) to ensure that ongoing schoolbuilding projects are being implemented with the best possible outcome.

In a statement on Wednesday, Eduarte told the heads of the DEOs to work as diligently as possible toward this end.

“Our agency is highly open to collaborating with other government entities to deliver appropriate and high-quality services for the benefit of the public, especially in terms of providing all Filipino youth access to a proper educational infrastructure,” he said.

The DPWH-5 is repairing and constructing more than 300 classrooms in the provinces across the region.

In a phone interview also on Wednesday, DPWH-Bicol spokesperson Lucy Castañeda said the project is in response to the extensive damage to school buildings caused by the past strong typhoons including “Rolly”, “Quinta”, and “Ulysses”.

She said the funds had been downloaded to their agency from the Department of Education’s (DepEd) 2023 Quick Response Fund (QRF) and the 2024 General Appropriations Act (GAA).

“It is an ongoing project implemented by DPWH Bicol. For the repair of classrooms under QRF, we already have 26.75 percent as of Aug. 25, while for the construction of the new classrooms, we have 11.44 percent as of Aug. 31 this year,” she said.

Castañeda said the deadline and completion of the classrooms depend on the approved contract, but must be finished “as soon as possible” since the fund needs to be disbursed within the year.

“The DPWH-Bicol and its district engineering offices oversee the implementation of these school infrastructure projects within their respective areas of responsibility,” she said.

She added Albay province received the largest released amount with PHP1.19 billion; followed by Camarines Sur province with PHP395.2 million; and Sorsogon province with PHP101.8 million. (PNA)