Repairs spurred by Web site calling attention to dilapidated schools

MANILA, Philippines—A Web site dedicated to monitoring the condition of the country’s nearly 46,000 public schools has prompted the government to allot funds for urgent repairs needed by eight public schools in Iloilo and Capiz.

The Department of Education  acknowledged that it was a report on www.checkmyschool.org that spurred the department into action.

“Eight public schools in Iloilo are expected to undergo much-needed repairs of their school facilities, thanks to the checkmyschool.org,” Education Secretary Armin Luistro said Tuesday.

“When civil society, concerned citizens and DepEd share an open communication line, resource gaps in our public schools can be promptly addressed,” he said.

Luistro said the repairs to be made at the  Burias Elementary School in Mambusao, Capiz; Nanga Elementary School in Guimbal, Iloilo; and Malitbog National High School in Calinog, Iloilo, will be financed by the Basic Educational Facilities Fund provided for in this year’s budget.

He said the repairs to be done at Caidquid Elementary School in Mambusao West, Capiz; Camangahan Elementary School in Guimbal; and Calinog Central School, Badlan National High School and Alcarde-Gustilo National High School all in Calinog, Iloilo will be funded by BEFF funds allocated in the 2013 budget.

The Web site www.checkmyschool.org is an online monitoring program on public schools started last year by the Ateneo School of Government in partnership with the Affiliated Network for Social Accountability in the East Asia Pacific and the DepEd.

The site allows its users to provide information through comments, photos and videos about problems in their schools in terms of classrooms, toilets, textbooks, furniture, faculty and personnel, enrollment, achievement test ratings, etc.

The site’s project coordinator, Redempto Parafina, said siter managers relay verified school issues posted on the site to the DepEd offices concerned and other stakeholders.

He said they have already trained 14 area coordinators who check and counter-check the information provided through actual community validation.