News Details

Iloilo Gov’t Releases P 212.9M for Education, Disaster Preparedness, and Community Development

NPO

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11 hours ago

ILOILO CITY – The Iloilo provincial government has released ₱212.94 million in funding for priority projects covering education, disaster resilience, public safety, and agriculture, Governor Arthur Defensor Jr. announced during a ceremonial turnover on Tuesday.

The largest portion of the funding—₱125.32 million—was allocated to education programs aimed at addressing classroom shortages and improving learning environments across the province.

Provincial School Board Secretary Maria Freda Fajardo said the allocation forms part of the Bulig sa Eskwela sang Probinsya (BES PROBINS) program, now in its third year. The initiative focuses on strengthening the province’s education system through infrastructure development and enhanced learning facilities.

“The program reflects Iloilo’s strong commitment to building an effective, relevant, and transformative education system,” Fajardo said, noting that classroom construction and school facility improvements remain top priorities.

In a separate interview, Governor Defensor said the province currently needs around 1,665 classrooms, with 468 schools still relying on makeshift learning spaces. These schools were prioritized in the latest funding release.

He added that provincial planning was aligned with the Department of Education’s budget framework to ensure complementarity of projects and efficient use of resources. Funds are being downloaded to local government units for implementation, with unutilized amounts required to be returned to the province.

“We are aiming to implement around ₱500 million worth of projects between now and the end of my term in 2028,” Defensor said, noting that Education Secretary Sonny Angara earlier cited Iloilo as a model province during congressional budget deliberations.

Aside from education, the provincial government also released:

• ₱58.32 million for disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation projects of local governments

• ₱6 million for agriculture initiatives

• ₱15.3 million for operational expenses of the Iloilo Provincial Office Defense Cluster

• ₱1 million for the procurement of goods for the CAFGU Active Auxiliary

• ₱4 million for the establishment of the 6th Regional Community Defense Group

• ₱3 million for vehicle procurement for the Philippine Army’s 6th Regional Community Defense Group

During the ceremony, service vehicles were also formally turned over to the Iloilo Police Provincial Office and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, further strengthening local security and enforcement capabilities.

— NPO News Team | PNA