P933M released for rehab of schoolbuildings in Dinagat
DINAGAT Islands Rep. Alan 1 Ecleo welcomed a memorandume ordering the release of P933.5 million from the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Fund (NDRRMF) for the repair and construction of totally destroyed school buildings in his district.
Ecleo said the release of these funds is the best Christmas gift for the hardworking teachers, the students and their parents who have had to endure the lack of classrooms and facilities for learning since 2021.
Before this year ends, 142 school buildings in seven Municipalities will get sufficient funding to repair and improve their facilities destroyed by Odette in 2021.
Ecleo personally monitored the completion of requirements needed by LGUs to apply for funding under the NDRRMF.
Ecleo coordinated with the Municipal LGUs, DepEd, DPWH and the Office of Civil Defense, and other agencies to complete the list of requirements before the two-year cut-off period ends by the end of 2023.
“It was very heartbreaking to see how our teachers and students struggled to hold classes under the shade of trees, and make do with make-shift classrooms and scarce equipment in order to push through with their tasks. We had to rally everyone to the completion of the goal for the benefit of our students and teachers,” he added.
Ecleo met twice with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to update the Chief Executive on the status of rehabilitation in Dinagat Islands, and hand-deliver requested interventions to speed up recovery in the District, including the funding requirement to repair the schools.
As chairman of the House Committee on Disaster Resilience, Rep. Ecleo also met with agencies in charge of disaster response and funding rehabilitation in order to streamline the process by which Local Government Units (LGUs) can access funds to repair and reconstruct following disasters.
