The Spanish government has donated P189 million in financial assistance to the Department of Education (DepEd) for the construction of classrooms and provision of school equipment in the typhoon-ravaged regions of Bicol and Caraga as well as support for its Every Child as Reader (ECAR) program.
Education Secretary Jesli Lapus and Spanish Ambassador Luis Arias signed a memorandum of understanding on the assistance last week.
Benefiting from the assistance are Camarines Sur, Albay and Sorsogon in Region 5 (Bicol), and Agusan del Norte, Siargao and Surigao del Norte in Region 13 (Caraga).
“Through this partnership, we will be able to make education accessible to some of the underserved areas in the country,” Lapus said. “This is in line with our goal of providing quality education to every Filipino.”
The three-year project will receive support from the Spanish government through staggered donations that will total P189 million.
For 2007, the initial grant will amount to 749,649 euros. It will divided among the DepEd’s three flagship programs, namely the ECAR program, school-based management initiatives that will contribute to the department’s Education For All (EFA) efforts, and strengthening human resources. – With Lux Felicidario