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HINILING ni Assistant Minority Leader, ACT Teachers Rep. France Castro na ibalik ang kabuuang P9.66 bilyong halaga ng ng mga tinanggal na items para sa Department of Education’s (DepEd) 2021 budget habang ang House Bill (HB) 7227 o ang 2021 General Appropriations Bill (GAB) ay naaprobahan sa second reading nitong Biyernes, 16 Oktubre.
Ipinasa ni Castro ang proposed amendments sa 2021 GAB upang ibalik ang tinanggal na budget sa DepEd na nagkakahalaga ng P7,229,020,000.
Iminungkahi rin ng mambabatas na guro na panatilihin ang mga tinanggal na items na matatagpuan sa 2020 General Appropriations Act (GAA) katumbas ng P2,431,323,000 gaya ng P107,000,000 Special Education Program; P1,424,323,000 School Dental Health Care Program; at P900,000,000 para sa World Teachers’ Day Incentive Benefits.
“It is high time that we prioritize education to ensure the learning continuity amid the CoVid-19 pandemic. How come that the education sector received only a meager increase and that most of the vital and critical items received cuts and in worst cases, some of them were removed in the proposed 2021 budget when in fact the slashed budget will be shortly enough to ensure the delivery of safe, equitable and quality education.
“If the Duterte administration truly cares for the demands of the education sector, he must be responsive to the needs of learners, teachers, education and health personnel, especially since we’ve been dealing with this shift to blended learning scheme,” ani Castro.
Binigyang diin ni Castro na niyakap na ng mga guro ang tinatawag na “new normal” kahit nahihirapan at marami sa kanila ay nahawa pa ng coronavirus sa paghahatod ng modules.
“The WTD incentive is the only consolation for our teachers in this time of crisis but it is rudely removed in the 2021 proposed budget. The SPEd program allocation, which will be beneficial for our deaf community, and among other learners benefitting from this program is also omitted while there is P16.4 billion proposed budget for NTF-ELCAC which will only be used to harass civilians and to further the attacks among ordinary people,” ani Castro.
“We urge the Lower House to restore these slashed and removed items in the 2021 proposed budget. We’ve seen how this pandemic surfaced the shortages and problems in education, health, aid and all other social services, this is the time that we address the demands of the Filipino people,” pagtatapos ni Castro.
