By Jade D. Miguel
MANILA, (PNA) — To address classroom shortage, the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) signed a memorandum of agreement Monday to build around 1,500 classrooms in remote areas of the country.
Through PAGCOR’s “Matuwid na Daan sa Silid-Aralan” project, an amount of Php2 billion has been allotted for the said undertaking, PAGCOR chair Cristino Naguiat Jr. said.
Since the program’s launch in 2011, more than 900 classrooms have been constructed in 123 sites all over the country.
Naguiat said that an amount of Php7 billion has been allocated by PAGCOR on its total allocation for its school building project. He added that they will continue to provide funds to DepEd for the classroom and school building construction to address the shortage.
The PAGCOR will be relying on DepEd’s data on classroom shortage to determine the project’s beneficiaries.
On its part, the DepEd will provide the architectural plans for the classroom structures as well as monitor the classroom construction.
Meanwhile, DepEd Secretary Bro Armin Luistro lauded PAGCOR’s “real and sustainable” investment in education poised to benefit several public school students.