TEAM PNoy senatorial candidate Edgardo “Sonny” Angara today vowed to allot P100 million a year from his Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) to address the perennial problem of classroom and equipment shortages in public schools and state universities if elected to the Senate.
Angara, one of his priority projects in his first year in the Senate is to build more classrooms, libraries and upgrade computers in public schools and state universities. A senator has P200 million year in PDAF.
“Our public schools and government-run universities lack the necessary facilities like classrooms, libraries, and their computers need upgrading compared to public schools and universities in other countries,” he said.
“If elected, I will set aside at least 40-50 percent of my PDAF which is 200 million a year to build school buildings,” he said.
He added that classroom shortage affects the quality of education the students are getting because they cannot concentrate on their studies if the classroom is congested.
The Department of Education (DepEd) said the lack of classroom stands at more than 50,000 and that they are still looking for funds to address the problem.
Among the provinces the DepEd identified to have the greatest need of classrooms are Pangasinan; Isabela; Batangas; Quezon; Palawan; Camarines Sur; Iloilo; Negros Occidental; Negros Oriental; Cebu; Bohol; Leyte; Zamboanga del Sur, and North Cotabato.
The DepEd said that despite the government’s efforts to address the classroom shortage, government resources alone remain insufficient to address resource gaps.
Angara agreed on the need to prioritize addressing the classroom shortage because it leads to other problems in the education sector, such as the increase in drop-out rates and poor student performance.