PLAN FOR NEW SCHOOL BUILDINGS. Department of Education (DepEd) Undersecretary for Administration Alain Del Pascua (right) explains to the Cebu media the 'last mile schools' program of the department, during a press briefing on Thursday (June 13, 2019) at DepEd Ecotech Center in Lahug, Cebu City as DepEd Undersecretary for Finance Annalyn Sevilla (left) and Deped Regional Director Juliet Jeruta listen. Usec. Pascua said the 'last mile schools' program intends to tap local communities in the construction and rehabilitation of school-buildings in remote places in the country. (Photo by John Rey Saavedra)
CEBU CITY -- Central Visayas’ top education official on Friday expressed support for the “last mile schools” program of the Duterte administration and vowed to work closely with Education Secretary Leonor Briones in the construction and rehabilitation of school buildings in the region’s remote areas.
This came after Department of Education (DepEd) officials visited Cebu to drum up efforts to intensify the upgrading of buildings and facilities of schools considered as “last mile schools” by the department.
DepEd 7 (Central Visayas) Director Juliet Jeruta mentioned the cases of the three schools in Carnaza Island in Daanbantayan town, north of Cebu, where the construction of two elementary schools and one secondary school has been stalled.
Jeruta said due to the distance and location of the school buildings, no contractor has dared to participate in the bidding for the school in Carnaza, which is 26 km. away from Maya, Daanbantayan port, and three to four hours travel by pump boat.
“With the last mile schools program, DepEd can tap local communities in procuring new buildings. Of course, we will ensure close supervision from the local school’s division,” she said, adding that strict auditing rules will still apply in these projects.
Briones said Thursday the program was developed after a concerned citizen in Central Visayas reported the underdeveloped schools in outlying areas, like those in the islands.
Alain del Pascua, DepEd undersecretary for administration, said in a press briefing here that the department has proposed a PHP40-billion fund from the Department of Budget and Management to finance the program.
In this program, the education department will rely on the assistance of either the local government unit or the engineering brigades of the Philippine Army in constructing last mile schools, he said.
According to Pascua, they further proposed that such funds be listed as a separate item, instead of including them in the basic education facilities fund for the construction of school buildings.
“While the process might not include the last mile schools, and that the basic education facilities fund used for the construction of school building is a priority, we can still issue guidelines on how to include the last mile schools,” he said.
“But we are proposing separate items” for the last mile schools, he added.
He explained that under the existing budgetary guidelines, big schools would usually get a huge portion of the pie, leaving those that are on the outskirts on the list of lesser priority.
The procurement process in refurbishing existing classrooms and building new ones under the program will be simplified, he said.
Annalyn Sevilla, Undersecretary for Finance of DepEd, said the program is specifically denominated to perk up the department’s effort to fast-track the rehabilitation of last mile schools.
She said that under the existing budgetary guidelines, “mas marami ang na-propose kaysa na-approve (a lot were proposed, but only a few got approved).” (PNA)
