By Allen Estabillo | Philippine News Agency
GENERAL SANTOS CITY—The provincial government of South Cotabato has rehired at least 470 teachers and education workers as support to over 200 public schools in parts of the province.
South Cotabato Gov. Reynaldo Tamayo said they renewed the contracts of the public-school workers for this year to facilitate continuity of their services and ensure quality education for learners.
He said they have allocated some P31.95 million for the salaries and honorarium of the 470 public-school workers.
The governor said some P23.38 million will be drawn from the local government’s Assistance to Public Education Program and P8.57 million from the Special Education Fund.
Tamayo said the renewed workers include the 185 Provincial School Board-supported and child development teachers. The other workers were hired to render janitorial and security services for the recipient-public schools.
“This is to ensure that our children are safe inside the schools and also given quality education,” he said in a statement.
A report released by the provincial government said a total of 211 public elementary and high schools in the Department of Education’s (DepEd) South Cotabato division will benefit from the support program.
Lake Sebu town topped the list of recipients with 48 schools, followed by Banga with 30, Tboli with 27, Norala with 25, Surallah with 23, Tupi with 22, Tantangan with 21, Santo Niño with seven, Tampakan with five, and Polomolok with three.
Tamayo said they will continue in the next school year the provincial government’s financial assistance to public schools, among them the P500 grant each for the school fees of indigent learners in elementary and high schools.
He said the move, which is in support of the “no collection policy” of DepEd, will cover all fees collected by the Parents Teachers and Community Associations.
The governor added that the local government has allocated some P38 million for educational grants this year.
Image credits: PNA GenSan file photo