DepEd eyes 95% disbursement rate amid possible P14-B budget cut in 2020 due to backlogs

The Department of Education (DepEd) targets to achieve a higher disbursement rate by the end of the fiscal year as it faces a possible P14-billion budget cut in the 2020 allocations.

"Right now we are targeting a 95% disbursement rate of our budget," Education Secretary Leonor Briones said in an interview on ANC TV on Tuesday.

Earlier this month, Senator Panfilo Lacson recommended to deduct P14 billion in the department's Basic Education Facilities program due to backlogs and problems in implementation.

Briones said that the backlog in the construction of classrooms are beyond the direct control of the DepEd.

"We do not build the schools ourselves. The money for the school buildings are directly remitted to the Department of Public Works and Highways... sila ang nagma-manage diyan," she said.

"We are now suggesting a mixed approach kasi right now it's exclusively DPWH which builds the school buildings and perhaps they need help because they have airports to build, bridges, roads and railways," she added.

DepEd proposed a P551.7 billion budget for 2020.

The DepEd previously said that for fiscal year 2019-2020, the department has 91% disbursement rate, as of October 2019.

According to the Department of Budget and Management, disbursements refer to "the actual withdrawal of cash from the Bureau of the Treasury due to the encashment of checks issued by agencies and payment of budgetary obligations."

Briones said she is hopeful the DepEd will get its proposed budget for next year as over 1,000 schools also need to undergo repairs due to earthquakes and other calamities that hit the country in the past months.

The reconciled version of the P4.1-trillion national budget bill for 2020 is expected to be signed on Tuesday and to be submitted to President Rodrigo Duterte by December 21. — Dona Magsino/MDM, GMA News