Brigada Eskwela This Year Focuses On School Hygiene, Indigenous Communities

source: mb.com.ph

MANILA, Philippines --- BRIGADA Eskwela is an annual school maintenance program of the Department of Education (DepEd) that mobilizes parents, teachers, students, civic, and business groups, local government units, non-government units, and other community residents in repairing and sprucing up schools two weeks before the opening of classes in June.

This year’s Brigada Eskwela’s main thrust is on the improvement of school and washing facilities to emphasize the importance of sanitation and hygiene among students.

As it does not accept cash donations, Brigada Eskwela urges participants to donate construction and cleaning materials or serve as volunteers. What would have been taken from the government’s fund for the maintenance and other operating expenses of public schools, the over R2 billion now being spent in the repair and clean-up activities came from the donations in kind and man-hours spent in school repairs.

DepEd Memo No. 56 series of 2012 encourages all DepEd employees to join the Brigada Eskwela activities by offering their skills and providing their support in kind or assistance to public schools near their residences. They are given two days to do volunteer work on official time, provided that such work is approved by their head of office. Any expenses made relative to the conduct of these activities shall be charged to local funds, subject to the usual accounting and auditing rules and regulations.

Participated in by all 45,000 public elementary and secondary schools nationwide, this Department of Education-wide activity starts with a motorcade from the Central Office en route to the public school where the clean-up drive officially kicks-off. With the concerted efforts of so many sectors, our public schools will be ready to receive students when school opens in June, 2012. MABUHAY!
source: mb.com.ph