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BY PRINCE GOLEZ
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Tuesday, September 5, 2017
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MANILA – Around 7,413 public schools in the Philippines may soon have electricity, said Senate President Pro-Tempore Ralph Recto.
Some P2.97 billion was allocated for the Department of Education’s school electrification program in the proposed 2018 budget.
One in six public primary and secondary schools was not connected to the electrical grid, Recto said, citing a 2015 official report.
Of these 7,413 schools, 5,911 have no access “to a single watt of electricity,” while 1,492 upland and island schools use solar panels for their power consumption, he said.
“Power is an indispensable requirement in the drive to modernize schools,” said Recto. “Wi-Fi, tablets, computers – they have to be plugged in to a power source.”
Schools with no reliable sources of power will be left out of the Education department’s multiyear classroom computerization program, which is expected to get P8.6 billion next year, he said.
The senator from Batangas also hoped the electrification fund will be spent well and on time.
“Noong 2014 at 2015, two years, zero delivery ng math and science equipment. Ganoon din sa computers, zero delivery in 2013 and 2014 from the funds appropriated that year,” he said.
“Sa napondohang 27,172 na water and toilet facilities, ni isa walang natapos from 2013 to 2014,” Recto added./PN
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