Senate OKs DepEd's proposed P629-B budget for 2022

The Philippine Senate has approved the Department of Education's proposed P629.8-billion budget for 2022 --or a 6% increase from its last year’s P595-B  budget. 

In a statement on Thursday, Education Secretary Leonor Briones thanked the Senate for recognizing the need to sustain the expansion of the safe face-to-face classes program, which focuses on education recovery.

DepEd and its attached agencies are set to receive a P629.8 billion budget for its National Expenditure Program for 2022, 6% higher than its P595 billion budget in 2021 to primarily support the expansion of safe face-to-face classes.

Read: https://t.co/QNrRyeS0pe pic.twitter.com/Wxoya1LDaZ

— DepEd (@DepEd_PH) November 25, 2021

“On behalf of the DepEd family, we thank and welcome our senators’ inputs for effectively allocating these funds that will surely build upon our capacity to provide the needs of our learners and teachers especially that we are gradually reopening the schools,” Briones said.

DepEd said that the budget for its General Management and Supervision increased from P7.61 billion to P8.09 billion, intended to fund the health and safety needs of the schools in implementing face-to-face classes in the next school year.

It also set aside P358 million for its newly created program Priority School Health Facilities in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The pilot testing of face-to-face classes started on November 15 in several areas in the country amid the COVID-19 pandemic, in which 100 public schools -- subject to strict health protocols -- are participating .

On Tuesday, the DepEd said that, so far, 56 of the 100 participating public schools have already reported that were no COVID-19 infection among their students and teachers for the first week of the pilot implementation of in-person classes.

On the other hand, 18 private schools from several areas nationwide that were deemed low risk for COVID-19 also started their own pilot face-to-face classes on Monday.

Senator Pia Cayetano, who is the budget sponsor, lauded the DepEd’s effort to push for the safe reopening of schools.

“I am very proud that we are now finally opening the doors of our schools and welcoming the students back to the classrooms,” Cayetano said.

DepEd said that its budget would be allocated in its “big-ticket” programs such as the Computerization Program and Government Assistance and Subsidies, which includes the Senior High School voucher program.

After the Senate Plenary Hearing, DepEd’s 2022 budget would await the bicameral deliberations for President Rodrigo Duterte’s final approval.  —LBG, GMA News