PHILIPPINE STAR/NOEL B. PABALATE

THE Department of Budget and Management (DBM) on Thursday approved the release of P309 million to 103 barangays for the construction of Child Development Centers (CDCs).

In a statement on Thursday, the DBM said the establishment of more CDCs in the country, which aligns with President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.’s directive, will be executed through multi-purpose building (MPB) projects.

“This is part of our continuing support for Child Development Centers, aimed at giving our children a fair start even before they step into classrooms,” Budget Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman said.

This forms part of a joint circular between the DBM and the Department of Education (DepEd), which prioritized funding of about P1 billion to build CDCs in 328 low-income local government units (LGUs).

Of the 328 low-income LGUs, 89 will be installed in Luzon, 106 will be in the Visayas, and 133 in Mindanao, including the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

The program will be charged under the Local Government Support Fund — Financial Assistance to LGUs in the P6.352 trillion 2025 national budget.

The DBM the program mandate LGUs to allot at least 150 square meters of land, sign a Memorandum of Agreement with the Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) Council, and take on operational responsibilities to ensure the long-term viability of the CDCs, it said.

“The DBM, DepEd, DILG (Department of Interior and Local Government), and the ECCD Council continue to work closely with local governments to monitor implementation and deliver results where they matter most—at the community level,” the DBM said. — Aubrey Rose A. Inosante