THE ALLIANCE of Concerned Teachers pressed legislators to allocate bigger funds for the education sector under the Bayanihan 3 bill to address the “massive gaps” in distance learning.

Raymond Basilio, the group’s secretary general, lamented that the first Bayanihan provided no funds for education while the Bayanihan 2 only allocated P4 billion for the sector.

Congress on Monday started deliberating on Bayanihan 3, which had a proposed fund of P405.6 billion.

“The education system is on the brink of collapse due to severely lacking state support. Teachers and staff who serve as its backbone are falling ill, burning out, and running out of personal resources to fill in the gaps in distance learning. It’s high time for Congress to include education in its top funding priorities for Bayanihan 3. Make up for the failures of the first two Bayanihans and the 2021 GAA,” Basilio said.

He said that the P5.6 billion allotted for distance learning needs “hardly covers the basic requisites of distance learning.”

Basilio said that gadgets, internet allowance, printed modules, and community teachers would need a budget of P98.5 billion.

“An additional P14.68 billion is needed to prepare for face-to-face classes in low-risk areas, and P7.2 billion to give due protection and health benefits to education frontliners,” he added.

Based on ACT’s computations, the Department of Education would need P120.3 billion in supplemental budget to amply fund the needs of the sector amid the pandemic.

“Failing to support the education sector amid the pandemic will come at grave costs paid by education workers, students, and even their families. Our duly-elected lawmakers are hereby challenged again to prove that they’re worth the people’s votes by fulfilling their duty to ensure quality education is safe and accessible to all,” Basilio said.