PASIG CITY, June 10, 2019 – In the June 8 social media posts by Raymond Basilio, Secretary General of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT), he claimed that it was their actions that prompted the Department of Education (DepEd) to include the construction of administration buildings in its 2020 budget proposal.

To set the record straight, DepEd underscores that its funding request for the construction of administration buildings was based on its awareness of the needs on the ground.

Last May 21, before the faculty room incident in Bacoor went viral and before the resulting protest of ACT, the Department already presented and defended its 2020 Tier 2 proposal to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM). Included in the proposal was DepEd’s request for P24.98 billion to enable the construction of the initial batch of administration buildings, which will house the principal’s office, faculty room, guidance room, library, and school supplies and equipment storage during calamities. The preparation for the proposal came much earlier.

DepEd’s request is due to the fact that its Basic Education Facilities Fund (BEFF) historically prioritized the construction and rehabilitation of classrooms. DepEd is prepared to construct the said faculty rooms and other ancillary facilities when the national budget authorizes it.

The Department hopes Mr. Basilio will stop misleading our teachers and the public by claiming credit for DepEd’s initiative, while portraying that the Department is not doing anything about the challenges in the education sector.

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