IMPORTANCE OF DEPED MOOE

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.