July 19, 2021— Continuing to provide necessary support mechanisms to its personnel, the Department of Education (DepEd) has released additional Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) to all public schools nationwide to strengthen measures in responding to the risks of COVID-19.

“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 Magtolis Briones said.

Around Php 3.7 billion additional funding allocated for MOOE will be cascaded to 16 Regional Offices, 213 Division Offices, and 44,851 public schools nationwide. The additional funding will be allocated for reinforcement of new normal set-up and minimum health requirements implementation.

“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 COVID-19 while in service.

The additional MOOE is to support DepEd Memorandum No. 39, s. 2020, authorizing the use of regular allocations for MOOE and local funds to implement measures in preparing and responding to the COVID-19 threats issued on March 12, 2020.

It also supports DepEd Order (DO) No. 11, s. 2020 or the Revised Guidelines on Alternative Work Arrangements in the Department of Education during the period of the state of national emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic issued on June 15, 2020.

Lastly, the additional fund will be allocated to strengthen DO No. 14, s 2020 or the guidelines to the required health standards in the basic education offices and schools issued on June 25, 2020.

“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.

According to Sevilla, DepEd has already released the MOOE to its field units early June and the Department is looking forward to seeing this funding utilized.

END