Groups of teachers on Monday, April 17, welcomed the move of the Department of Education (DepEd) to stop the search for the best “Brigada Eskwela” implementers. (NOEL PABALATE / MANILA BULLETIN / FILE PHOTO “Dapat lang na hindi na ito gawing contest, kasi kawawa ang mga teacher na napipilitan o pinipilit na gumawa at gumastos para sa kadakilaan ng kani-kanilang paaralan at school head (It is only right not to make this a contest anymore because the teachers become pitiful when they are forced to work and spend for their respective schools and by their school heads),” Teachers’ Dignity Coalition (TDC) Chairman Benjo Basas said in a statement. In a separate statement, the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) also welcomed the DepEd’s announcement on the scrapping of the search for the “Best Brigada Eskwela Implementing Schools.” In a recently released memorandum, DepEd revised the implementing guidelines for the 2022 “Brigada Eskwela” or the National Schools Maintenance Week held annually to prepare for the opening of classes. For this school year, DepEd said there there “no search” for the “Brigada Eskwela” Best Implementing School Award citing “issues and concerns.” READ: [https://mb.com.ph/2023/4/16/dep-ed-revises-brigada-eskwela-guidelines-scraps-search-for-best-implementing-schools](https://mb.com.ph/2023/4/16/dep-ed-revises-brigada-eskwela-guidelines-scraps-search-for-best-implementing-schools) Both groups agree that while the conduct of the “Brigada Eskwela” --- which centers on volunteerism --- has good intentions, the real essence of the program is being compromised following numerous complaints that the competition “forces teachers to solicit for school needs.” While ACT recognized the “bayanihan” spirit of encouraging and involving the local governments and communities in preparing schools for the opening of classes, the group pointed out that the “duty of providing for education should not be passed on to them as they are already taxpayers who contributed for the delivery of basic social services.” Given this, ACT called on the national government to provide funds to repair and prepare classrooms so that teachers will “truly be no longer obligated” to ask for donations or spend out-of-pocket for classroom needs before the school opening. ACT pointed out that the total DepEd budget for school maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE) for 2023 is only P30.8 billion. “For around 25 million learners in public schools today, this would only yield a budget of P1,232 per learner for the whole year to cover minor classroom repairs, equipment and supplies, electric and water bills, special events, and other operational expenses,” ACT Chairman Vladimer Quetua said. Quetua added that the MOOE for 2023 will not be enough to address the needs of public schools under DepEd nationwide. Currently, ACT alleged that the problem of repainting classrooms, repairing doors or windows; comfort rooms; blackboards, or buying electric fans and other equipment is “left on the class adviser and the parents.” Quetua said that given the dire economic situation of learners and their families, class advisers are “forced to spend their meager salaries just so that our learners will have conducive learning spaces.” For ACT, the removal of the “Brigada” competition should be partnered with the allotment and release of sufficient funds for school opening preparation for it to be a “really impactful reform.”