The Iloilo Provincial Government has committed to helping address the shortage of classrooms and teachers in public schools.
Governor Arthur Defensor Jr. said the provincial government has allotted P250 million for its Special Education Fund this year.
“Education is not the core mandate and function of the local government unit because that’s not one of the devolved functions. But I’m not saying nga indi ta na ya responsibilidad; we take full responsibility for our education here in the province,” he said.
“We know that the budget for our schools comes from the national government for classrooms, teachers, etc., but through our effective component, we are fully committed to supporting the infrastructure, facilities, and operations of public schools,” the governor added.
The current classroom shortage in the province, according to Schools Division of Iloilo Superintendent Dr. Ernesto F. Servillon Jr., stands at 1,652.
Of the figure, 302 are in the First District, 297 in the Second District, 385 in the Third District, 219 in the Fourth District, and 449 in the Fifth District.
The province also needs more teachers to cover the yearly increase in enrolment in public kindergarten, elementary and high schools.
This year, the provincial government hired 300 teachers to augment the teaching personnel of the Schools Division of Iloilo.IMT
