THE Department of Education (DepEd) has partnered with the Land Bank of the Philippines (LANDBANK) to intensify repairs and rehabilitation of damaged public school buildings nationwide.
DepEd and LANDBANK forged an agreement whereby the latter and its subsidiaries allot P7 million for the initiative.
The Land Bank Resources and Development Corp. (LBRDC) will handle the major construction to support the DepEd’s so-called “last mile schools” across the country.
The LBRDC will initially set up restrooms in three public schools.
“The funds will be used for repairs and rehabilitation of classrooms in municipalities that have been greatly affected by recent calamities. We will be supporting an initial 12 last mile schools which were selected in close collaboration with DepEd based on your 2023 data and list of schools that need repairs.” LANDBANK senior vice president Catherine Villanueva said in her remarks during the signing rite for the accord.
LANDBANK president Lynette Ortiz also cited the bank’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) that paved the way for the collaboration with DepEd.
“I was also thinking that LANDBANK can initiate efforts to really mobilize the banking industry, to try to see how we could tap on CSR activities to allow banks to really maybe adopt more schools and that way, it could bridge the gap,” Ortiz said.
Education Secretary Juan Edgardo Angara thanked the Landbank for its initiative in helping the public schools in the country, adding that the country needs all the help it can get for its children.
