Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson has urged the Department of Education (DepEd) to fix a public school building damaged by a recent storm in Nagtipunan, Quirino province.
Lacson, standard-bearer of Partido Reporma, said he learned of the problem during his town hall meeting with the townsfolk of Maddela.
The senator said Quirino Gov. Dakila Carlo Cua also informed him about the school which had been in a state of disrepair since.
He said Cua told him the DepEd was trying to pass the problem of the school in Barangay San Pugo to the cash-strapped local government unit.
Lacson pointed out that the DepEd has allocations for the restoration of typhoon-ravaged schools in the country, on top of funds earmarked for its last-mile school programs.
He allayed the concern of the Nagtipunan people, saying he would intercede with the DepEd in their behalf.
“So, don’t worry, hopefully, they (DepEd) would listen to our appeals—as we could only make an appeal—since we know there are funds [provided for it]. So, we believe that the ruined school in San Pugo would eventually be repaired,” Lacson told them.
In another interaction with the people, Lacson and his running mate Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III reiterated their commitment to properly implement the laws should they win in the May 9, 2022 elections.
The tandem made the pledge to address the concerns of persons with disabilities (PWDs), as well as single parents who participated in the town hall meetings in the Cagayan and Isabela provinces which they visited earlier this week.
Lacson said they acknowledged the criticisms raised by a PWD representative in Sanchez Mira, Cagayan, who pointed out that for some reasons, Republic Act 10070 or the amended Magna Carta for Disabled Persons’ Law was not working very well for them.
The law mandated the creation of a Persons with Disabilities Affairs Office (PDAO) in every province, city and municipality. However, some of the PDAOs were reportedly unmanned and therefore, not functioning.
Sotto said single parents were entitled to receive discounts on their purchases, as well as other benefits and privileges under the Solo Parents’ Welfare Act of 2000.
