By Mae Singuay & Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

The Sangguniang Panlungsod of Bacolod is requesting the Department of Education (Deped) to assign nurses to all primary and secondary schools in the city.

According to Councilor Claudio Jesus Puentevella, chair of the committee on health, the request is to address and prevent health issues caused by the rising temperature this summer season inside schools.

In a resolution passed by the council on Wednesday, April 26, it was reported there were several incidents of students, teachers and other staff who had experienced fatigue and heat stroke, which if left unattended, may lead to adverse health effects and even fatal.

Puentevella said the DepEd is responsible for ensuring access to promoting equity and improving the quality of basic education, and tasked to manage and govern the basic education system in the country.

P348-M supplemental budget approved

Meanwhile, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Negros Occidental has approved more than P348 million supplemental budget of the province during their regular session on Tuesday, April 25.

Provincial administrator Atty. Rayfrando Diaz said a large majority of the funds would be set aside for the Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) for 2023.

The MOOE was in response to the province’s 2023 annual budget which was cut by 70 percent.

It can be recalled that the COVID-19 pandemic affected the province’s National Tax Allotment.

Aside from the MOOE, a part of the supplemental budget would be used for the purchase needs of the province, such as fuel, supplies, travel allowances, funding for provincial government-run hospitals, and others.

Diaz said the budget would be taken from the more than P392 million surplus or savings of the province back in 2022.

The remaining P43 million in the provincial government’s savings could be used for other important projects, such as preparations to cushion the effects of the dry spell caused by the El Niño phenomenon./DGB, WDJ