BM Rosario deplores inefficiency of school boards

BM Ming Rosario

By MORTZ C. ORTIGOZA

LINGAYEN – The chairman of the committee on education of the Sangguniang Panglalawigan (SB) assailed the “inefficiency” of some local school board (LSB) in some towns and cities in Pangasinan.

SB Member Jeremy Agerico ”Ming” Rosario said based on the survey of the Department of Education, the LSB’s use of the one percent share from the real property tax is not being maximized.

“Unfortunately, based on the survey of the DepEd, medyo hindi nagagamit or na ma-maximize ito. Sayang, pag na ma-maximized ito, bawas and kaunti na ang problema natin (Unfortunately, based on the survey of the DepEd, it seems the LSB do not maximize the use of the funds. Otherwise, the problems of the schools would have been lessened.),” he said.

According to the Local Government Code, the annual school board budget should give priority to the construction, repair, and maintenance of school buildings and other facilities of public elementary and secondary schools; establishment and maintenance of extension classes, and sports activities at then division, district, municipality, and barangay levels.

Rosario deplored how the LSB in the town of Manaoag has not been used to improve the schools there.

He said to better monitor the funds, there should be an action person in the local school board.

He said the role of the school board is the repair of classrooms, salaries of teachers, and the purchase of text books for the students.

Rosario said that the LSB in the province has its own appropriation from the RPT.

He said the provincial school board has P120 million share in 2011.

Meanwhile, a resident of Manaoag town denounced the “politics” behind the shutting off of street lights around the Poblacion area.

The resident, who asked anonymity and who spoke in behalf of a significant number of residents there, said that last Monday Manaoag Mayor Napoleon Sales requested the Sangguniang Bayan to pass an urgent resolution for funding of the street lights.

The resident wondered if Mayor Sales was conditioning the people’s mind that what happened to Mindanao where blackout is experienced because of the absence of funds for power generation.

He wondered why there was shutting off of the lights.
“My letter of disconnection na ba tayo sa Decorp?” he posed.