By Brian Campued
In line with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to provide Filipinos with access to better transport and learning facilities, the Department of Education (DepEd) has partnered with the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (UK FCDO) to establish a smart urban transit-linked hub for teachers and learners.
Under the memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed between DepEd, DOTr, and UK FCDO, the 13-hectare DepEd Complex in Taguig City will be redeveloped into an “Education City”, which will host eco-friendly buildings, open spaces, transit hubs, training and meeting facilities, and accommodation for teachers.
According to DepEd, the Education City will be built with the Senate-DepEd Station connecting the North-South Commuter Railway and the Metro Manila Subway Project—two of the flagship infrastructure projects in the country.
Education Secretary Sonny Angara, in a statement, emphasized the importance of building sustainable education-centric infrastructure, including safe and accessible transport facilities, to provide a better learning environment for students and teachers.
“Tinitiyak ng pagtutulungang ito na makikinabang nang direkta ang ating mga mag-aaral at guro mula sa isang well-planned, green, at safe environment na nakatutulong sa layunin ng pampublikong edukasyon,” Angara said.
The latest initiative was formalized under the Senate-DepEd Project (SEED) Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Project and will be funded by Green Cities and Infrastructure Programme of the UK FCDO, which pledged to bring in British experts to support the project.
Under the MOU, a joint working group will oversee the project’s second phase, which includes technical studies and development of project concept, subject to the approval of the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development.
-jpv
