Lou L. Biason
Principal III
BQB Elementary School
San Jacinto, Pangasinan
The Importance of DepEd
Budget for Maintenance and Other
Operating Expenses.
Sto. Tomas, San Jacinto- A general meeting of Parents
Teachers Association was called for the consideration of the proposal of the
Barangay Council of Sto. Tomas to withdraw the subsidy granted by all the previous
Barangay Councils which started under the administration of Don Bernabe
Biagtan, Hon. Romy Placido, and Hon. Betty Rolluda in shouldering of electric bill as an aid of the
barangay for the Bernabe Q. Biagtan Elementary School.
Incumbent Punong Barangay Deguzman
stated that Sitio Baybay need to be lighted up and the amount of subsidy
granted to the school shall be used therein. Seemingly, there is a question of
priority, that is electrifying this sitio of less people benefitting and sacrificing subsidy for more or less 400
pupils enrolled benefitting from this
subsidy.
Expenses on electricity ranges from
use of electric fans in each classroom by the pupils. The lightings of the
covered court alone during nighttime. Although there is a computer room with
seven (7) sets of computer, this is not yet fully operational.
They also alleged that there is a
Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses of school sufficient to cover the cost
of electricity. As a school administrator I strongly emphasized that in
addition to other school expenses, the “Maintenance and Other Operating Expense (MOEE) to each school
is based on their number of pupils. Each pupil has an earmarked budget of
P12.50 per month. For example, School A has a population of 400 said school
shall have an MOEE of about P5,000.00 per month to be spent for various
maintenance of school ranging from payment of electricity, water, payment of
salary of one (1) security guard, communication expenses, maintenance of school
facilities , feeding for school children, expense on teachers and administrator
seminars, conferences, execom meetings , payment for the books and different
form, certificates for pupils and others.” Sometimes BQB Elementary School
receives more or less an actual P14,000.00 on a fluctuating basis because of additional
subsidy from DEped budget. Sometimes
P8,000.00 because deductions are made by the division office on expenses of
school supplies ,and other materials, seminars and conferences paid by the
division although offered free for the participating principal, school heads ,
teachers, employees and pupils. Additionally, the monthly expenses of
participating pupils whenever they are sent
to a competition for academics, cultural or sports are shouldered by the MOEE
of the school. Other miscellaneous expenses are also shouldered by the school.
It is interesting to note, that under
the Local Government Code of 1991 and its implementing rules and regulation,
the allocation of Internal Revenue Allotment of a Barangay are the following,
to wit; 55 %-Personnel Services; 20%-local development fund; 10% SK; 5%
calamity fund; 1%-fund for children; 5% GAD-Gender and Development. No specific
allotment for school development but said appropriation for school’s
electricity consumption is included in the development fund. In other words, the
payment of electricity for school is already included in the budget for 2014. But
there is seemingly a legal query here. There was an appropriation ordinance of
Brgy. Sto. Tomas, San Jacinto for the fiscal year 2014-2015 annual budget, and
the allocated fund for the payment of electricity of BQB school was included.
If the said appropriation ordinance is not amended accordingly, and this
earmarked amount for payment of electricity would later on be used to finance
the lighting up on this sitio more important than the more or less 400 pupils
who would directly benefit from existing subsidy is nonetheless illegal. If and
when this subsidy for electricity would not be withdrawn, a case of probable
act for malversation of public funds is in the offing. The school instead
should have been spending the payment for electricity to other scholastic
activities if the barangay did not withdraw this grant since time immemorial.
Be that as it
may, the Barangay Council had decided to withdraw such subsidy. It is a political
decision and need a political answer through the exercise of the right of
suffrage by the parents of these pupils who were deprived of this benefit.
Their act of withdrawing is to be gauged by these parents in an electoral
exercise whether or not the Barangay Council decision to withdraw such subsidy
is appropriate or wise.
Whether these officials deserve
re-election or election in another office? Therefore, it is a political
question.
Meanwhile, the BQB administration
shall now pay our own electricity bill charged to our MOEE and spare the
parents from payment through voluntary contributions which is prohibited under
existing policy. As I observed we do not want to give further burden to parents
as we are fully aware of their situations or economic status. Many of these
parents are under poverty status and Pilipino Pamilyang Pantawid 4 (P’s)
beneficiaries. Hence, no fees are collected, it is free.
As a consolation on our deep concern to them,
the parents are very grateful to the school administrator and teachers as we
understood fully well of their plight and actual situation. The BQB
administration and faculty teachers also thanked the philanthropic act of
Honorable Kagawad Bernardo Jugo for donating 10 PIECES of Hardiflex Ply for use
in re-activating and improving unusable Marcos typed old building which now housed
the kindergarten and Grade III pupils.
Hence, the administration, faculty
members and Parents Teachers Association officers and members exert more effort
for the maintenance and improvement of the school despite the meager amount of
its budget.
