A recently approved fund release by the Department of Budget and Management assures that over 1 billion Pesos will be spent on the restoration and conservation of heritage school buildings in the Philippines.
The DBM said that it has approved a P1.134 billion Special Allotment Release Order (SARO) for the Department of Education to restore 654 classrooms in 83 heritage schools nationwide, including necessary improvements for the restoration of Gabaldon schoolhouses, which are school buildings put up during the American colonial period.
The SARO is in accordance with a special provision in the 2024 national budget that complies with Republic Act 11194 or the Gabaldon School Buildings Conservation Act, which state that heritage school buildings, including Gabaldon school buildings, must be preserved and restored as part of the country’s cultural conservation efforts.
Gabaldon schoolhouses, which were built between 1907 and 1946 under the colonial regime of the Americans, are noted for their architecture, which mimics the traditional Filipino bahay kubo and bahay na bato. Around 2,045 such schoolhouses remain in the country today, and given our rich historical and cultural heritage, many are sure to be found in Negros Island.
The release of funds for the restoration and conservation of heritage school buildings is a welcome development, as it indicates that government is willing to back up its words with action, in this case, the allocation of funds. Hopefully the DepEd will work with qualified contractors that can assure proper restoration and conservation, along with adding climate resiliency, especially as the dry season becomes hotter and the wet even wetter.
And while they are at it, it would also be nice if they can also put additional effort into improving the quality of education in those educational facilities, so they don’t only look pretty and retain historical value, but also develop and produce graduates that are of high quality and can be competitive in the national and international arena, which is something our schools seem to have difficulty these days, as our country grapples with a learning crisis.*
