Following scrutiny by the House Committee on Appropriations, the Department of Education (DepEd) said it eyes the full utilization of its 2019 National Expenditure Program (NEP) amounting to P528.8 billion, during the resumption of budget hearings in Congress on August 28.

Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Benjamin Diokno noted that in cash-based terms, DepEd’s budget increased by 12.5 percent from P470 billion in 2018 to P528.8 billion in the 2019 NEP.

However, the DBM noted the low disbursement rate for Basic Education Facilities (BEF), an annual budget line item of the DepEd for its School Building Program. The disbursement rate for the BEF averaged at 12.8 percent from 2015 to 2017.

*Data from the Department of Education and the Department of Public Works and Highways – Basic Education Facilities

The BEF covers improvement and maintenance of school facilities such as the provision of classroom and workshop buildings, replacement of old dilapidated buildings, provision of furniture, repair and rehabilitation of classrooms, including water and sanitation facilities, and electrification.

“We in DepEd will rise to the challenge of overcoming our own scarcity, and transforming this to opportunity for efficiency, innovation, and creativity towards the acceleration of our development,” DepEd Secretary Leonor Briones said.

Moreover, DepEd noted that it has made significant gains both in terms of fiscal and operational outcomes. According to the Agency Performance Review (APR) by the DBM, DepEd’s overall financial performance, both in obligations and disbursements, are relatively above 80 percent.

“[U]tilization rate is only half the battle; when it comes to delivery of services, it is disbursement rate that matters. With the country’s shift to Annual Cash-Based Appropriations in 2019, DepEd has initiated reforms for a faster and more efficient program implementation and delivery,” Sec. Briones said.

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