By PRINCE GOLEZ
Manila Reporter
MANILA — Rep. Jerry Treñas of Iloilo City wanted the Special Education Fund (SEF) to be used in creating more teaching positions and extension courses.
The use of SEF is currently limited to school facility operations and maintenance, school building construction and repair, educational research, purchase of books and periodicals, and sports development.
“In my experience as a city mayor, I know there are other areas of education where such funds can be of use,” Treñas told Panay News.
Treñas thus filed House Bill 4923, which seeks to amend Republic Act 7160 to allow the use of SEF in creating new teacher items and extension classes.
He also proposed that SEF be used to buy motor vehicles for the Department of Education (DepEd).
Schools that are far from the city but had to coordinate with the city hall and the DepEd will find the vehicles beneficial, the Ilonggo lawmaker said.
Treñas said Iloilo City, for instance, is in “[desperate] need [of] financial support from the SEF.”
The SEF aims to augment the local government units’ capability to fund public schools in their respective jurisdictions, he said./PN
