DBM ok's P575-M for school's furniture 

THE Department of Budget and Management (DBM) released P575.3 million to the Department of Education (DepEd) for the purchase of school tables and other furniture, supporting the Aquino administration’s commitment to improve educational facilities nationwide and boost the country’s public education system. 

Budget and Management Secretary Florencio B. Abad said the release—chargeable against DepEd’s fund for the Requirement of Basic Education Facilities under the 2013 General Appropriations Act—will be used to cover the acquisition of school desks, furniture and other educational fixtures in public schools all over the country. 

“Besides meeting President Aquino’s goal to close the longstanding classroom gap within the year, we also want to ensure that all school buildings will be equipped with enough school tables and chairs. This will help ensure that students will no longer learn their lessons in cramped classrooms, where children are forced to share chairs or remain standing just so they can attend their classes,” he said. 

“The fund release is part of our strategy to create a better learning environment for our schoolchildren. With enough tables and chairs in each classroom, students will be in a better position to focus on their lessons, excel academically and, ultimately, improve their overall school performance,” he added. 

Of the P575.3 million released, schools in ARMM will receive the highest share amounting to P88 million. This is followed by schools in Region V, with an allocation amounting to P69 million, and the National Capital Region with P56 million. 

The DepEd, for its part, will give preference to arts and trade schools, including other similar technical or vocational schools, in the actual purchasing of sturdy and well-made school furniture. 

The budget release for school furniture comes in the heels of a P10-billion release last month for the construction, replacement and completion of kindergarten, elementary and secondary school buildings and educational facilities nationwide, particularly in areas experiencing acute classroom shortage. (DepEd)