Sen. Sonny Angara will take over as the leader of the Department of Education (DepEd) despite the recent resignation of its top five officials. This transition, happening on Friday, July 19, places him at the helm of the country’s largest office, with over one million personnel.
Angara inherits an agency ready to defend its proposed 2025 budget of over P790 billion to Congress. The challenge lies in enhancing budget efficiency and providing better support to teachers and students.
Significant Increase in School MOOE Funds
Just before Angara’s assumption of office, DepEd’s Finance and Operations team finalized plans for a significant increase in School Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) funds. This budget will see a 30% hike, amounting to over P12 billion more for the next year.
On July 15, a representative for Sen. Angara attended a meeting at Ecotech Cebu. During this meeting, DepEd Finance Director Ana Marie Calapit, trained at the London School of Economics and Political Science, presented the budget increase. She explained, “The proposed increase in School MOOE necessitated changing the current formula.” The new budget for School MOOE stands at P49,761,582,000, up from last year’s P37,657,632,000.
Regional Impact of MOOE Increase
All 17 regional directors, representing over 45,000 public schools, praised the proposed increase. They believe this will address significant budgetary gaps, especially in smaller schools.
- National Capital Region (NCR): Set to receive a 16% increase, from P2,379,328,000 last year to P2,760,315,000.
- Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR): Will see the highest increase at 44.2%, from P910,749,000 in 2024 to P1,312,986,000 next year.
New Formula for MOOE Allocation
The MOOE increase is a crucial development during this leadership transition. It responds to field demands and meets the Presidential directive to provide more support to teachers, learners, and school operations.
For over a decade, the MOOE allocation used the Boncodin formula, considering factors like the number of learners, teachers, classrooms, and graduates. The new formula, developed with the Asian Development Bank (ADB), includes 27 cost drivers. ADB’s technical assistance involved surveying around 10,000 schools to refine these cost drivers. This data was essential in calculating the budget for each school, finalized in April 2024.
Director Calapit remarked, “ADB’s study and actual field research on the cost drivers give higher confidence to this new formula.”
Comprehensive Support for Schools
The School MOOE budget covers various expenses, including:
- Utility bills (water and electricity)
- Maintenance of classrooms, toilets, clinics, and handwashing facilities
- Fuel costs for transportation
- Internet subscription
- Training expenses (travel, room, and board for seminars)
- Incidental costs for school upkeep
This increased budget aims to enhance the efficiency and support of schools across the Philippines, ensuring better operations and maintenance.
