CEBU CITY, Cebu, Philippines (PNA) - The Department of Education (DepEd) has set aside P833 million to build classrooms and procure other school facilities in Central Visayas, education officials said.

A portion of the amount will also be used to repair old ones, set up school water and sanitation facilities, and procure school furniture like chairs and tables, said DepEd 7 physical facilities coordinator Victor Yntig.

The region currently needs 1,950 classrooms for elementary schools and 2,336 classrooms for secondary schools.

The region also lacks 258,967 school seats and 15,831 toilets.

DepEd will implement the universal kindergarten program for five-year-old children, as part of its campaign to bring all school-aged children to school.

The program is part of DepEd’s K + 12 Basic Education Program, which entails mandatory kindergarten and additional two years in high school.

Education officials said they expect some 210,359 incoming kindergarten pupils in Central Visayas in the coming school year and that this much number of pupils in that level alone will require some 4,205 classrooms.

The DepEd will need P2.785 billion to construct these classrooms, and another P210 million for school furniture.

Dr. Clara Rebecca Falconi and Dr. Leah Apao, DepEd 7 information officers, assured the public that education officials in the region are working hard to address problems in schools before the start of classes next month.

The DepEd has also recently forged agreements with local government units (LGUs) to build classrooms.

The DepEd, the Department of Budget and Management and the League of Provinces of the Philippines signed a memorandum of agreement last February under which the LGUs and the national Government will share the cost of classrooms construction.

The DepEd also entered into similar agreements last January with the League of Cities of the Philippines and with the League of Municipalities in the Philippines.

The DepEd has a P207-billion budget for 2011, which is 19 percent higher than its budget last year.