LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – The municipal school board approved the allocation of some P10.5 million from the town’s special education fund for the implementation of priority education projects in the municipality this year.
Mayor Romeo K. Salda stated that the allocation of the funds is geared towards effectively and efficiently addressing the pressing needs of the local education sector during the implementation of blended learning to allow the students to pursue their studies amidst the threat of the dreaded Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).
However, he said that the local government will still be open to suggestions and recommendations from the education sector on other programs, projects and activities that should be implemented to cater to the needs of the stakeholders during these difficult times.
Under the pertinent provisions of Republic Act (RA) 7160 or the Local Government Code of the Philippines, local governments are mandated to allocate funds for their respective special funds that will sourced out from a percentage of the real property taxes being paid by their constituents.
Meanwhile, Councilor Nestor Fongwan, Jr., chairman of the municipal council committee on education, supported the clamor of educators for the provision of sufficient funds to bankroll the implementation of their programs, projects and activities, especially the provision of a vehicle that will be used to cater to their increasing transportation requirements because of the delivery and pick up of modules in designated areas around the municipality.
He claimed that there is a need to ensure the timely delivery and pick up of the modules in the designated areas to allow the continuous learning among the students and to allow the teachers to be able to check and grade the same while awaiting the latest instructions that will be handed down by the education department on how to go about the implementation of the blended learning for the present schoolyear.
Mayor Salda pointed out that the municipal government will source out possible funding for future education-related programs, projects and activities that will be proposed by the concerned stakeholders to ensure that the needs of the students and teachers will be immediately addressed for the benefit of being able to hurdle the challenges of the present set up.
The local chief executive asserted that local officials believe that education is still the best inheritance that parents and guardians could give their children and wards because the same cannot be easily taken away from them and that it could be used to help in uplifting the living condition of their families.
The mayor claimed that the local government is also awaiting further guidance from the education department on the inclusion of some schools in the municipality as among the sites where limited face to face learning will be implemented once the prevailing situation caused by the prevalence of the COVID-19 pandemic will improve in the coming months.
Salda urged the education sector to continue aiding in each other for the successful implementation of the government’s blended learning program in the municipality for the sake of the education needs of the youth. By HENT
