MANILA, (PIA) — Senator Win Gatchalian is advocating for increased flexibility and transparency in the use of the Special Education Fund (SEF) to improve educational outcomes.
Gatchalian’s proposal is part of the 21st Century School Boards Act (Senate Bill No. 155), which seeks to strengthen local government unitsβ (LGUs) roles in education. The bill would expand the responsibilities of local school boards to include policy development aimed at enhancing education quality.
Recent reports from the 2023 Commission on Audit (COA) indicated that millions allocated for public education improvements in Metro Manila have gone unutilized or mismanaged by several LGUs.
Under Gatchalian’s proposal, the SEF could be used for various purposes, including funding salaries for teachers and non-teaching staff, preschool teacher salaries, and allowances for additional services outside regular hours.
It would also cover capital outlay for preschools and the operation and maintenance of Alternative Learning System (ALS) programs.
An analysis by the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II) found that from 2018 to 2022, P15 billion of the SEF went unutilized, with cities showing the highest underutilization rate at 57%.
The Bureau of Local Government Finance cited procurement issues and restrictions on fund use as key reasons for the shortfall.
Established under the Local Government Code of 1991 (Republic Act No. 7160), the SEF is generated from an additional one percent tax on real property and is designated for public school operations, including building construction and repairs.
To enhance accountability, Gatchalian’s bill would require local school boards to implement a transparency board and a web portal to report on SEF collections and expenditures, including quarterly income reports and schedules for classroom construction projects. (JCO/PIA-NCR)
