San Pedro City, Laguna Mayor Art Mercado’s push to improve the city’s education sector has just received a major boost.
Last February 23, Mercado joined the ranks of local government officials who entered into a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the national government for the construction, rehabilitation and repair of classrooms.
The MOA, co-signed by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. and Education Secretary Juan Edgardo Angara, paves the way for greater autonomy and control among local government units in the construction of classrooms.
The move comes amid repeated calls by LGUs and concerned sectors to delegate to local governments the task of constructing additional classrooms to alleviate the chronic shortage of school facilities.
Under the MOA, LGUs will lead the procurement, construction, and project management to ensure faster and more responsive implementation, while DepEd will set building standards and validate compliance prior to final turnover and payment.
While the exact details of the agreement are yet to be finalized, city officials assured that the LGU is doing its best to fast-track the construction of additional classrooms.
“The final number of classrooms is yet to be determined, as we have only concluded the initial launch. We are currently awaiting the release of the allocated budget specifically for San Pedro,” Jhe-Rico Sam Colina, head of the San Pedro City Public Affairs and Information Office (PAIO), told OpinYon Laguna in a message.
Amid concerns that funds for the additional classrooms can be “misaligned,” Colina also made the assurance that the process of allotting classrooms for the city’s public schools will be strictly “needs-based.”
“While the Local Government Unit (LGU) will handle the implementation, the DepEd Schools Division Office (SDO) is responsible for recommending facilities based on the specific requirements and priorities of the schools,” he said.
“Once the budget is downloaded to the LGU, processing will begin immediately. This is supported by the fact that DepEd San Pedro has already submitted their initial recommendations and requests.”
For Mercado, the delegation of classroom-building to LGUs is the logical solution.
“This initiative is a strong reminder that investing in classrooms is investing in our children’s future. Mas maayos na silid-aralan, mas maayos na pagkatuto. And when we create better learning spaces, we create better opportunities for every San Pedronian students,” the city executive wrote in his Facebook page.
“I remain committed to working hand in hand with our national government to ensure that these commitments translate into real, tangible improvements on the ground. Hindi lang ito pirma sa papel, ito ay pangako para sa kinabukasan ng ating mga kabataan,” he added.
#WeTakeAStand #OpinYon #OpinYonNews