Escudero: PDAFs enough to wipe out classroom backlog in the country

MANILA, Philippines - Reelectionist Sen. Francis Escudero said yesterday the huge pork barrel allocation of each of the 24 senators is enough to wipe out the classroom backlog in the country.

Each senator is allocated P250 million as Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) to enable them to finance their pet projects all over the country.

The lawmaker challenged other congressional candidates and senators “to put their funds where their mouths are.”

“Every year, as much as P200 million is given to each senator. In a span of six years, a senator can accumulate up to P1.2 billion in PDAF,” Escudero said.

|If each of the 24 senators were to adopt the practice and contribute P500,000 each from their individual PDAFs, every municipality in the country will receive P12 million every six years for development projects such as the construction of school buildings,” he said.

Escudero said education will be one of his priorities in the Senate vowing to download P500,000 of his PDAF for each of the country’s 1,494 municipalities.

“Education is the great equalizer in society. It is the best way to guarantee that all Filipinos get an equal opportunity to a better life ... If given another chance, I will give to each municipality a fund worth P500,000 for the construction, repair, and rehabilitation of school buildings. This would be crucial in improving the delivery of government services to the education sector throughout the country,” he said.

He said the municipalities across 80 provinces in 17 regions. Downloading P500,000 per municipality translates to some P747 million in PDAF for education.

“But the amount can still use some help, if would-be senators were really serious with the promise of empowering the nation,” he said.

“Money should be invested in education and while in my current term, funds were invested in the construction, repair and rehabilitation of public markets, my next term, if given the chance, would be devoted to providing funds for the construction, repair and rehabilitation of public school buildings,”  he added.