Rico supports K2+12 reform

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By MARLON BALMADRID  

QUEZON CITY – Rep. Erico Aumentado has strongly endorsed the bill authorizing K2+12 as a reform measure initiated by the Department of Education (DepEd) under the watch of its secretary, Bro. Armin Luistro.

However, Aumentado emphasized that the measure should focus more on building classrooms and hiring new teachers, especially for kindergarten teachers who are presently receiving the measly sum of P3,000 monthly as honorarium from the local government unit (LGU) of the barangay or the municipal government concerned.

The veteran legislator, member of the Committee on Basic Education, made the strong support during his interpellation on the bill sponsored by Rep. Sandy Ocampo (Manila) Tuesday evening.

Aumentado drew the attention of the chamber to the general pitiful condition of classrooms for kindergartens and the seeming lack of regular salaries for kinder teachers. He also cited instances of many teachers having to handle two to three classes in remote areas and in places where elementary schools have only three to four classrooms instead of six to accommodate Grades 1 to 6.

The solon further cited the lack of classrooms and science laboratory equipment, information communications technology (ICT) facilities such as computers and internet for public high schools – considered the weakest link in the educational system. However, he commended the Aquino administration and Luistro for focusing on constructing more classrooms and hiring more teachers under DepEd’s big outlay in the 2013 national budget.

For the sake of transparency and accountability, Aumentado drew the assurance from the bill sponsor that the bridging program of filling the gap in the 56,000-classroom backlog can be partly addressed by the government’s private-public partnership program for such construction where qualified participating contractors will advance the construction cost, payable yearly through the budget of DepEd under reasonable interest to answer the cost of money in the process.

Ocampo assured Aumentado and the members of the House that they will be provided with more details of the PPP program and the allocation of school buildings and teachers for every congressional district.

Ocampo also agreed to Aumentado’s position that the most ideal reform in the basic educational system is to provide a highly qualified teacher for every class in a classroom.

The House overwhelmingly approved the K2+12 measure also on 2nd reading.