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December 22, 2009

CSO welcomes budget increase for ALS, vows to monitor implementation

CIVIL Society Network for Education Reform (E-Net Philippines) welcomes the increase in the allocation for the Alternative Learning System (ALS) which is part of the 161 Billion budget of the Department of Education (DepEd) for 2010.

 

From previous years, ALS was only allocated Php 240 Million annually, the budget was increased to Php 500 Million, based on reports after the Senate approved the 1.54 Trillion National Budget for 2010 which was subsequently approved by the Bicameral Conference Committee of Congress last December 17.

 

According to E-Net, the budget still prioritizes school-based interventions and lack affirmative action to reach out to indigenous learners who have no means to go to city centers to study.

 

“Our call to increase funds for indigenous learning communities is a proposal to provide access to quality education in remote areas not served by schools", asserts Cecilia Soriano, E-Net National Coordinator.

E-Net along with the Alternative Budget Initiative (ABI) pushed Congress to allocate at least Php 1.0 Billion for ALS, aimed at expanding the coverage of ALS to more indigenous peoples’ communities and the provision of additional CLCs across the country.

 

While E-Net welcomes this development, they cautioned that renewed armed conflicts in Mindanao will surely contribute in another round of increase in the number of OSY in the country. The November 23, massacre of 57 people in Shariff Aguak is a very glaring example of this senseless violence that often take its toll on education where, pupils and students constitute the majority of IDPs in Southern Philippines. Said increase in the number of OSY would render any increase in the budget insignificant since the additional funds should be allocated to address the corresponding increase in the number of OSY. Despite the lifting of Martial Law, one week after it has been declared in the province of Maguindanao, the culture of fear among residents barely abated, that is why many pupils in schools are still afraid of going back to school.


Likewise, E-Net expressed a bit of relief that the possibility of a re-enacted budget is now nil, while a re-enacted one would be prone to abused by the incumbent administration since the 2010 budget is essentially a budget for an election year.

 

Soriano, expressed concern about the absence of a programmatic approach in ensuring education for OSY and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) alike, since the Deped puts too much emphasis on the formal system. Soriano said “ We ask now, what the Department of Education intends to do about the additional budget of 250 Million for the Alternative Learning System (ALS)?

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