BAGUIO CITY – The State-owned Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) released the total amount of P144 million to the concerned district offices of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to fund the construction of schoolbuildings under the government’s Silid Aralan project to allow the availability of classrooms for the full implementation of the K to 12 education system.
The recipients of the funds include the Irisan National High School (INHS) in the amount of P65.4 million for the construction of a 4-storey building with 32 classrooms; the Tublay School of Home Industries Main in Acop, Tublay, Benguet in the amount of P44.5 million for the construction of a 4-storey schoolbuilding with 20 classrooms; The Tabuk City National High School and the Kalinga National High School in the amount of P16.8 million each for the construction of 2-storey buildings with 10 classrooms each.
The allocations for the aforesaid projects will be charged from the 2015-2016 Silid Aralan project that was already released by the gaming corporation to the DPWH central office.
Under the conditions stipulated in the release of the funds to the concerned district offices of the DPWH, disbursements shall be made in accordance with the existing budgeting, accounting and auditing rules and regulations.
Earlier, officials of the PAGCOR, DPWH and Department of Education entered into a tripartite agreement dated April 16, 2015 for the construction of over 2,000 classrooms and/or schoolbuidlings in the total amount of P3 billion which will be funded from the education budget of the gaming corporation.
Subsequently, the funds for the previously identified projects were downloaded to the Baguio ?City District Engineering Office (BCDEO), the First Benguet Engineering District and the Second Kalinga District Engineering District for proper utilization and implementation of the identified projects.
The DPWH is mandated to come out with a monthly certification of disbursement made out of the funds received and the same shall be forwarded to the Dep Ed and the PAGCOR for monitoring purposes.
Concerned DPWH district offices who received the said funds were required to submit liquidation reports duly audited by the auditor with credit notice.
Public Works Secretary Rogelio Siongson cited no amount shall be spent for any purpose other than which the same had been appropriated, obligated and released.
By Dexter A. See