San juan city: Education Secretary Sonny Angara on Wednesday called on local government units (LGUs) to help speed up classroom delivery nationwide through a more flexible classroom construction mechanism. Angara made the call during a dialogue with more than 200 city and municipal mayors at the Makabagong San Juan Theater in San Juan City.
According to Philippines News Agency, Angara emphasized the importance of LGUs being at the forefront of implementation. This approach would allow for quicker access to priority schools in need of new classrooms. Under the proposed flexible framework, the Department of Education (DepEd) will be responsible for identifying priority schools, providing classroom designs and technical specifications, approving and reviewing plans and variation orders, securing validation and inspections, and releasing project funds in tranches.
The LGUs, on their part, would lead the implementation from procurement to construction while adhering to national laws and DepEd-standard designs. They would also manage construction defects at their expense if standards and specifications set by DepEd were not met. Once classroom constructions are completed, the buildings will be considered DepEd assets but will undergo joint monitoring and audit to ensure quality.
For LGUs to participate, they must submit eligibility requirements to the DepEd. These requirements include a letter of intent signifying the commitment to implement classroom projects, authority from the Sangguniang Bayan, Panlungsod, or Panlalawigan to enter into a memorandum of agreement with DepEd, and proof of site ownership or the right to use the school site, such as proof of deed, a tax declaration, or a deed of usufruct.
Meanwhile, Angara noted that constructions still under the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) will be monitored more regularly. He mentioned that meetings are now more frequent, facilitated by the formation of a Technical Working Group (TWG) that convenes once or twice regularly, to ensure progress. Prior to the operation of the TWG, progress reports on classroom construction from the DPWH could take up to four to five months or more.
