P185.5 billion earmarked for education in 2010 budget

BALER, Aurora , Philippines  – At least P185.5 billion has been earmarked for the operations of the Department of Education, the Commission on Higher Education and all state universities and colleges in the country under the 2010 national budget.

Administration Sen. Edgardo Angara, chairman of the Senate committee on finance, said yesterday the budget increase in education showed that the National Government is again putting premium on quality education, which is one of the basic services Filipinos should be enjoying.

He said that the respective budgets for health and social services, transportation and communications, agriculture and infrastructure sectors have likewise been increased which, he said, highlighted the government’s response to the need to improve the quality of life of Filipinos.

He said the budget of the Department of Public Works and Highways has been increased to P126.9 billion, the Department of Agrarian Reform to P20.8 billion, the Department of Transportation and Communications by P16.6 billion, the Department of Social Welfare and Development by P15.3 billion and the pension and gratuity fund to P80 billion. “Despite overall improvement in the country’s economic performance, many Filipinos are yet to enjoy many of the basic services due them. This budget highlights our response to such need,” the senator from Baler said.

Angara said they also infused P73 million for the Visayas-Mindanao initiatives on public school buildings; P16 million for the Cultural Village Project, P50 million for the UP-Cebu Graduate School and P50 million for the promotion of regional opportunities for enterprise and livelihood development. – Manny Galvez