THE DEPARTMENT of Education released an additional P3.7 billion to ensure that strong anti-coronavirus measures are in place in public schools nationwide.

The fund will be added to the maintenance and other operating expenses budget of 44, 851 public schools in the country.

“The pandemic is a continuous challenge in delivering quality education. We have to implement enabling fiscal policies to keep supporting our stakeholders in the field.  We have to fight for it and we have to be conscious all of the time dahil alam natin na we have that kind of a challenge at hand,” Education Secretary Leonor Briones said.

“Para po ito sa mga binibili nating supplies para po sa ating teaching and non-teaching personnel na pumapasok ay mayroon ding karagdagang proteksyon. Kahit po wala ang mga bata at hindi sila pumasok sa eskwelahan ay gumagana at nagooperate pa rin po ang ating mga eskwelahan,” Undersecretary for Finance Annalyn Sevilla said.

In preparation for the next school year, the MOOE will augment funding for the protection of teaching and non-teaching personnel against Covid19 while in service.

The additional fund will support previous memoranda released by the agency that authorizes the use of regular allocations and local funds to implement measures that respond to the threats of Covid19.

“Kahit last year pa po itong mga issuances na ito ay nagbibigay pa rin tayo ng additional funding source for our schools so they can prepare especially for the coming school year 2021-2022,” Sevilla added.