Palace certain to find budget for transistor radios for students

MALACAÑANG IS  confident that the government would be able to find a source of funding for the purchase of transistor radios to be used for distance learning in remote areas.  

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said Tuesday that since face-to-face classes would be prohibited until a vaccine is developed, the Department of Education (DepEd) could use its budget for communication technologies in areas without access to televisions, cellphones, computers, and the Internet.

“Wala pa pong budget. I’m sure may pagkukunan po dahil wala naman tayong face-to-face classes (There’s no budget yet but I’m sure they can find a source of funds because we won’t have face-to-face classes),” he said in a virtual presser.

Last month, Roque said the Palace might look into the possibility of asking Congress for an additional budget for the DepEd as schools are set to resume and adopt distance learning through online platforms.

“Kung kinakailangan po ng extra budget, hihingi po tayo (If there is a need for an extra budget, we will ask for it),” he said.

Roque explained that the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act or Republic Act 11469 does not have any provision that provides extra funding for the DepEd.

He said the government is currently realigning funds in the existing PHP4.1 trillion budget for 2020.

However, Roque said a supplemental budget could be requested once the Department of Finance identifies new sources of revenues.

President Rodrigo Duterte, in a public address late Monday night, appealed to the public to give him until the end of the week to allocate funds for the purchase of transistor radios, which would be used by students in remote areas.

Duterte said he is eyeing the purchase of transistor radios, which cost about PHP300, the cheapest ones they can find.

“We will try to come up with something in the next few days. Maybe before the end of the week, I would be able to look for the money. Wala na tayong pera ngayon (We don’t have funds now). I would look for the money to buy transistor radios to be distributed all throughout the country,” he said.

Education Secretary Leonor Briones vowed to work closely with local government units (LGUs) to ensure that students obtain learning modules from their respective barangays (villages).

Briones also said she had discussed with local officials the government’s plan to use local radio stations to broadcast lessons for students.

The DepEd has set the opening of School Year 2020-2021 on August 24 while the end of the school year will be on April 30, 2021.

Roque said there is still a chance for the school opening to change depending on the country’s rate of infection. (By Azer Parrocha)