DepEd’s school-building budget for 2020 should be augmented in the light of the damage sustained by the 500 classrooms and 700 school buildings during last month’s earthquakes in Southern Mindanao.

Congress cannot be impervious to a tragedy which threatens the schooling of millions of children.

It is duty-bound to increase the DepEd’s capital outlay funds, because the provision of a safe environment for learning should be given the highest reconstruction priority.

DepEd’s school building budget for 2020, as proposed by the DBM, is P20 billion, a steep drop from its P171.7 billion original request.

By DepEd’s validated count, public schools lack 64,795 classrooms. The amount the DBM endorsed is only good for 8,000 new classrooms.

The earthquake aggravated the shortage. It has shaken the foundation of an already feeble allocation for a critical social infrastructure. DepEd’s construction budget was already in a calamitous state before the earthquake struck. Kulang na nga ang pondo, lalo pang pinalala ng lindol.

DepEd is not asking much to replace the classrooms damaged, just P1.6 billion, which is within the power of the Senate and the House to grant through next year’s general appropriations.