DBM releases P1.134B to DepEd for heritage school buildings restoration

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has released over one billion pesos to bankroll the Department of Education’s (DepEd) conservation and restoration efforts of heritage school buildings.

In a statement on Tuesday, the DBM said it issued a Special Allotment Release Order (SARO) amounting to P1.134 billion to the DepEd for the agency’s Conservation and Restoration of Gabaldon School Buildings and other Heritage School Buildings.

Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman approved the release of SARO on March 1, 2024.

The DBM said the released amount is set to benefit 654 classrooms in 83 sites nationwide.

Gabaldon School Buildings, also known as Gabaldons, are heritage school buildings in the Philippines constructed during the colonial period of the United States.

The architecture of Gabadon School Buildings draws inspiration from traditional “bahay kubo” and “bahay na bato” designs.

“Let us restore and preserve the dignified spaces of our Gabaldon School Buildings and other heritage structures. Whether nestled in bustling cities or remote provinces, these historic edifices hold the promise of progress. Together, we forge a path toward a renewed Philippines, leaving no one behind as espoused by President Bongbong Marcos' vision of a Bagong Pilipinas,” said Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman.

The allocated funds under the SARO will cover heritage school buildings in the Cordillera Administrative Region, CARAGA, National Capital Region (NCR), Regions I, II, III, IV-A, IV-B, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI, and XII.

The DBM said that as stipulated in the Special Provision No. 21 of the Fiscal Year 2024 General Appropriations Act and in accordance with Republic Act No. 11194 and its implementing rules and regulations (IRR), heritage school buildings, including Gabaldon school buildings, must be preserved and restored as part of the country’s cultural conservation efforts.

The Budget Department said the restoration process includes site improvements such as school ground site leveling and grading, with high regard for building safety and integrity, and removal of obstructions and unsafe structures around the Gabaldon building.

Moreover, the DepEd and Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) must ensure that the aforementioned schools are fully restored and not just renovated or rehabilitated. — Ted Cordero/RSJ, GMA Integrated News