GENERAL SANTOS CITY — The provincial government of Sarangani has allocated an initial PHP6.8 million this year for the expansion of the daycare program in three municipalities.
Racquel Panal, head of the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office, said Monday the funds will be utilized for the construction of eight additional daycare centers in Alabel, Glan and Malungon towns.
She said around PHP1.2 million was set aside for the Taclobo day care center in Malungon and PHP5.6 million for seven other facilities in the three municipalities.
The local government is also working on the completion of the Famorcan daycare center and another facility inside the provincial capitol in Alabel town, she said.
“We have also opened the submission of proposals for the repair and rehabilitation of existing day care centers,” she said, adding these proposals will be assessed by the PSWDO and the office of Gov. Steve Chiongbian Solon.
For this school year, she said the local government allocated some PHP8.1 million this school year to augment the allowances or honorarium of the 544 teachers. The official said the daycare teachers, who are also supported by the barangay councils and the municipal governments, may receive up to PHP5,000 in honorarium from the provincial government.
She said it may be availed of by teachers who have already served for at least a year and received a “5-star” rating based on a checklist and evaluation guideline set by the agency.
Aside from these, Panal said the local government, through its flagship Sulong Sarangani program, had distributed at least 20 horses for selected far-flung daycare centers. She said the horses are being used by daycare workers in going to the centers, some of which are situated in upland areas and hardly accessible due to crisscrossing rivers.
Panal said they also facilitated regular training for daycare workers to ensure the proper implementation of the program, which focuses on the provision of early education, supplemental feeding, and delivery of basic health services.
She added that the program’s expansion will continue to ensure that children aged three to four years old will avail of the mandated early basic education and eventually elevated into the government’s K to 12 education program. (PNA)
