In its second official meeting, the Manila City School Board approved the realignment of P143 million from the city’s Special Education Fund (SEF) to finance the purchase of smart TVs, laptops, tablet armchairs, and workbooks for all 397 kindergarten classrooms across the city.

The initiative is part of the local government’s effort to strengthen reading skills and basic education, in line with the national directive to modernize classroom learning environments.

“Layunin natin na palakasin ang reading at basic education, in line with the national direction na gawing modern mode of learning ang ating mga silid-aralan (Our goal is to enhance reading and basic education by transitioning to modern modes of learning in our classrooms),” Mayor Francisco "Isko Moreno" Domagoso said.

The mayor also disclosed that the funds were sourced from scrapped “unnecessary expenditures,” including non-critical repairs that were deemed not urgent or life-threatening.

Officials clarified that redirecting these funds represents a more meaningful investment in long-term educational development.

They said the procurement process for the new learning equipment is expected to begin within the year, ensuring the items can be utilized as soon as possible.