DepEd, BSP revive Tulong Barya project

THE Department of Education and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas revived on Thursday the Tulong Barya Para sa Eskwela (TBPSE) project to generate additional funds for the improvement of basic education.

TBPSE, first tried last year, gathered P P6,658,548.55 million worth of low denomination coins and returned them to circulation, saving the central bank P8.2 million in minting costs. The saved funds were in turn donated to DepEd by the BSP and used to buy 510 computer units for schools in the provinces.

"We had a very encouraging outcome when we first launched the project in July 2007. It's only appropriate that our schools observe the habit of giving value especially to the low-denomination coins," Education Secretary Jesli Lapus said.

In the relaunched TBPSE campaign, the target is to accumulate P66 million worth of coins for re-circulation, save P80 million in minting cost, and use P5.5 million for the printing of the Financial Literacy Guide for Teachers. Other projects lined up under the agreement are the distribution of the Teachers Guide with a delivery cost of P3.7 million, airtime media advocacy worth P20 million, and the printing of the Financial Literacy Workbook for 12 million students costing P360 million.

The objective of the financial literacy project is to increase savings among "small" savers like public school teachers and students by integrating this concept in the elementary education curriculum. Lapus said Ateneo's Economic Reform and Advocacy will handle the teaching guides and teachers' training.

Lapus earlier said DepEd's lion's share of P141 billion of the national budget is not enough to finance all the improvement projects since 80 percent of the amount is used to pay for the salaries of 450,000 teachers and non-teaching personnel nationwide, and for maintenance and operating expenses.

Yesterday, Senate President Manuel Villar said that by allocating 30 percent of their pork barrel, every congressman and senator will be able to ensure that every Filipino child will complete his elementary and high school education.

Villar's proposed bill called No Filipino Child Left Behind Act (SB 2366) will use an initial seed money of P10 billion from DepEd's budget to jumpstart a program that will see all Filipino children done with their elementary education by 2012 and high school by 2016 based on a concrete plan and timetable.

"Without diminishing their entitlements, all members of Congress must appropriate 30 percent of their congressional initiatives to education-related projects in their respective districts," he said. "It is a declared policy of the State to protect and promote the right of citizens to quality education and take appropriate steps to make such education accessible to all." - Ashzel Hachero with Dennis Gadil