Public schools here have received around PHP54 million worth of communication package from the city government to assist the delivery of various alternative learning modalities amid the continuing coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.

Romelito Flores, Department of Education city division superintendent, said they started the distribution on Monday of at least 5,000 smartphones with unlimited call and text subscription and five-gigabyte monthly data allowance for at least one year.

Flores said the local government acquired the Oppo A12 cellphones for a total of PHP12 million.

The accompanying data, call, and text subscription are worth around PHP42 million and funded under the local school board allocation drawn from the city’s Special Education Fund, he said.

“We immediately distributed them to our public schools’ district supervisors who were tasked to release them to our teachers starting today (Monday),” he said in a statement.

The official said the communication assistance package would be a huge boost in delivering the new learning methods as precautionary measures against Covid-19.

The city government earlier approved over PHP150 million in funding support through the SEF to public schools in the city for this school year.

Around PHP77 million was allocated to reproduce the learning modules for learners who chose the modular mode. (PNA)