BUZZ BEAT MEDIA

Education Secretary Sonny Angara on Tuesday backed President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s renewed call to address the country’s chronic classroom shortage, saying the solution lies in bold, unconventional partnerships with the private sector.

During the first post-SONA discussions focused on education and workers’ welfare, Angara said the Department of Education (DepEd) has initiated Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) to significantly scale up classroom construction in response to the President’s marching order.

“Mabigat po ang problema ng kakulangan sa classrooms dahil apektado po ’yung learning quality o ’yung abilidad ng isang estudyante na matuto nang maigi. So tama ‘yung sinabi ni Presidente na kailangan mag-think out of the box tayo,” Angara said during the forum, which gathered key officials from DepEd, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), and Commission on Higher Education (CHED).

Marcos had earlier emphasized the urgency of the problem in his fourth State of the Nation Address, declaring: “Katuwang ng pribadong sektor, sisikapin nating dagdagan pa ang 40,000 silid-aralan bago matapos itong administrasyon. Maglalaan tayo ng sapat na pondo para rito. Alang-alang sa ating mga mag-aaral, hihilingin ko ang buong suporta ng ating Kongreso.”

Angara explained that over the past decade, the government has only managed to build an average of 6,000 classrooms per year. But with PPPs, he said, “in the next five to 10 years, we can build over a hundred thousand classrooms. At ’yan ang tinutukoy ng ating mahal na Presidente.”

Beyond infrastructure, Angara also pointed to education reforms that better align learning pathways with future job markets, particularly in the age of artificial intelligence.

Angara added that the DepEd is collaborating closely with TESDA, CHED, and DOLE to strengthen the technical-vocational track in Senior High School—now branded as “TechPro”—with options ranging from graphic design to electrical work. He said this move seeks to produce graduates qualified for “quality jobs,” not just minimum wage positions.

“’Yan ay pinatotohanan ni Sec. Kiko at nila Chair Shirley, Sec. Benny, Sec. Hans—para quality jobs ‘yong makukuha. Quality jobs to address the long-standing problems of employment,” he said.

The post-SONA dialogue is a series of discussions unpacking key development priorities raised by the President, including the long-term competitiveness of Filipino workers and the quality of education from basic to higher learning.

*All Photos from DepEd