THE Department of Education (DepEd) estimates that P4 billion worth of its projects have been affected by the suspension of programs funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
DepEd Assistant Secretary Roger Masapol revealed that five major USAID-supported projects in education and infrastructure have been halted. These include ABC+ (USD47.5M), Opportunity 2.0 (USD37.5M), Gabay (USD2.77M), ILO-Ph (USD5M), and Urban Connect (USD1.25M). In total, the USAID funding amounted to USD94.02 million, or roughly P4 billion.
“It’s unfortunate because our projects have already taken off, but we received this order,” Masapol said in an interview with Teleradyo Serbisyo on February 5.
However, he assured that DepEd programs will continue and that they are exploring alternative funding sources to mitigate the impact on schools and students.
DepEd has included these initiatives in Education Secretary Sonny Angara’s 5-Point Agenda to ensure the continuation of education reforms.
Masapol noted that the delay in USAID-funded projects could affect the pace of implementing changes in the education sector.
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