Although President Arroyo tried to control the tone of her voice, her display of presidential temper sent Department of Education (DepEd) officer-in-charge Fe Hidalgo rushing back to her office after a dressing down delivered during a Cabinet meeting.
The President was not happy with Hidalgo’s report that the classroom shortage for this year stood at 6,832, and asked the secretary to leave the Palace and review her supposedly wrong data.
Hidalgo later returned to Malacañang and faced the media to say the problem was being addressed, and that she had made a mistake with the numbers.
"It was my error. I feel sorry for myself," Hidalgo said.
According to Hidalgo, the figures on the shortage she presented were based on a one to 45 ratio of classrooms to students when it should be one to 100 because of the "double-shifting" scheme. This means that one class of 50 uses the classroom in the morning while a second batch uses it in the afternoon.
Mrs. Arroyo and Hidalgo had a misunderstanding on the matter, which apparently led to the flash of presidential anger.
Hidalgo said although the classroom shortage was not part of her presentation, she wanted to raise the concern before the Cabinet meeting for the sake of providing quality education.
But the President disputed Hidalgo’s figures.
"That (one to 100 ratio) was already set last year. So what is the shortage now if we used what was agreed on last year? We have to present our accomplishments on that," the President said.
"We’ve been attacked every year for the shortage," the President told Hidalgo during the Cabinet meeting.
The President said the government has been meeting the shortage but Hidalgo’s report did not reflect it.
"Can we be careful? This is a very major issue. Maybe we should defer this discussion until we come out with the (figures on the) shortages even with the two shifts because children go to school half day only," the President noted.
Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez asked whether the schools built by congressmen were included by the Department of Education in its total being used to address the shortage.
But the President didn’t mind this and remarked: "As I said, can we defer the discussion? Can we let the media go?"
The presentation by Hidalgo, which was supposed to focus on the preparations for the school opening, was open to the media for coverage.
Asked if Mrs. Arroyo had scolded her after the media left, Hidalgo said she had only been corrected by the President.
"I don’t know if she’s mad, but she was upset," she said.
Hidalgo said she could not say whether the incident could affect her appointment in a permanent capacity.
"It does not matter. We just have to do what we have to do… Whatever happens, I’d like to give that to the President," she said.
Hidalgo also said the incident was not enough reason for her to leave the Arroyo Cabinet.
"Why should I resign? Nobody’s perfect," she said.
Hidalgo said 2,600 additional classrooms had been built for use this June and that 1,000 more would be ready by September. With the double-shifting scheme, Hidalgo said there would be no more shortages in the meantime.
"But the reason why we are building more classrooms is because the ideal ratio of classroom to students is one to 45. That was what I was trying to highlight before the Cabinet," she said.
Hidalgo maintained she was not trying to sugarcoat the matter and was just not able to include the newly built classrooms and the fact that the whole shortage would be met this year as the President had allocated P2 billion for this purpose.
She said she would go back to the Cabinet meeting to make her presentation regarding "Oplan Balik Eskwela."
Various agencies are involved in the program to ensure the safety of the students as they head back to school.
Presidential chief of staff Michael Defensor said Hidalgo was given time to rectify her report and consider the points raised by the President.
"With the 1 is to 100 ratio, we hope to fulfill substantially the need for classrooms among our students particularly in areas where you have high density," Defensor said.<