MANILA -- The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said it has released P1.15 billion to fund various basic education projects that will help the country meet its commitments to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

In 2000, the Philippines committed to achieve the eight-bound MDGs that aim to eradicate global poverty and hunger by 2015.

“The learning process in basic education is critical, for it assures the basic building blocks that will capacitate our children to take on higher education or already work after graduation,” Budget Secretary Florencio Abad said.

Of the P1.15 billion recently released to DepEd, P500 million will cover the maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE), particularly in improving the learning outcomes determined in the annual implementation plan (AIP) of the schools.

The fund will also be used to procure school supplies necessary in classroom teaching. This was released directly to DepEd’s 16 regional units.

Meanwhile, a total of P483.8 million was released to fund teachers’ training, scholarship and fellowship grants, capacity building for non-teaching personnel, among other human resourced development activities.

Of the P483.8 million, P179 million will be used for the National English Proficiency Program.

Of the P192-billion regular budget of DepEd for 2011, P171.2 billion have already been released by DBM to the agency as of September 30 this year, Abad said. (Virgil Lopez/Sunnex)