UMVA has learned that a massive effort to address the nationwide classroom deficit is underway, with 79 local government units (LGUs) starting construction on school facilities.
The ambitious project, backed by a P9.3 billion investment, aims to deliver 2,632 classrooms in 666 school sites nationwide. Education Secretary Edgardo “Sonny” M. Angara emphasized that this collaboration with LGUs is crucial in ensuring that learners have safe and comfortable schools.
Through this partnership, LGUs can hire local contractors via competitive bidding or utilize their own city and provincial engineers, provided they meet national standards. The projects will follow a “construction milestones-based” structure to ensure responsible use of funds.
Funding for the projects will be released in three tranches based on verified construction milestones. The Department of Education will oversee the projects through its Project Implementation and Construction Committee (PICC), while LGUs are required to use a digital validation and monitoring system to track progress and avoid delays.
Secretary Angara stressed that guidelines are in place to speed up fund releases while ensuring transparency, high-quality projects, and no anomalies. This localized program complements other infrastructure initiatives, including 10,488 classrooms worth P36.227 billion already underway.
The Department of Public Works and Highways has secured P7.627 billion in funding for 2,217 classrooms, with a second batch worth P3.615 billion pending for 1,081 classrooms. The Department of Education aims to start constructing 24,964 classrooms this year to address the current 165,000 classroom gap.
Data shows that over 120,000 buildings across the country have exceeded the 25-year lifespan for classrooms, exacerbating the existing shortage. The Department of Education is taking a multi-faceted approach to bridge this gap and provide learners with safe and comfortable educational environments.
