BUZZ BEAT MEDIA

To heed President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr.’s direction to close the country’s classroom gap faster, the Department of Education (DepEd) has pushed for more flexibility in tapping more implementing actors in its School Building program, including different LGUs and private entities, in the 2026 National Expenditure Program (NEP). 

Education Secretary Sonny Angara said that local government units (LGUs) and private partners should also be tapped as implementers so that resources can be matched with the right builders — particularly in far-flung and disaster-prone areas where classrooms are most needed. 

“Nagpasok tayo ng Special Provision on flexibility sa 2026 NEP. Dahil madalas ring tumutugon ang DPWH sa mga kalamidad, nais nating bumuo ng pool ng mas maraming implementing actors upang matiyak na magpapatuloy ang mga proyekto nang walang aberya,” Angara said. 

Under current set-up, DepEd identifies classroom needs, sets design and safety standards, and programs the funds.  

Meanwhile, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) directly receives the fund and handles the cost estimates, procurement, and actual construction. 

Angara thanked the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) for allowing DepEd to partner with other agencies under the 2026 NEP. He also shared that LGUs can use its Special Education Fund (SEF), while the private sector can contribute through Public-Private Partnership (PPP) and Adopt-a-School program. 

“Kailangan nating buksan ang pinto para makasali ang LGU, NGO, at iba pang handang tumulong para mapabilis ang pagpapatayo. Ang mahalaga, kung saan may pondo, dapat may marunong at mabilis na tagapagpatayo,” Angara said. 

The DepEd chief explained that solving the classroom backlog is not just a matter of building more, but building smarter. The department has drawn up a classroom master plan that uses school-level data, demographic trends, and site assessments to identify urgent needs. 

Programming and budgeting follow under the Basic Education Facilities Fund and Quick Response Fund. 

Once funds are in place, implementers can take on construction. DepEd engineers monitor progress on the ground, with inter-agency validation to ensure quality and transparency. 

Angara said DepEd is also adopting flood-resilient and stilted designs so learning can continue even in schools hit by seasonal floods or strong typhoons. Flood-resilient structures will have open ground floors for classrooms or multipurpose halls during dry months, and elevated upper floors that remain usable when water levels rise. In coastal and typhoon-prone areas such as the Bicol Region, classrooms will be built on stilts, with reinforced, waterproofed concrete roofing to withstand extreme winds. 

Beyond ongoing projects, DepEd has thrown its support behind the proposed Classroom Building Acceleration Program (CAP) under Senate Bill No. 121. The department has recommended that the measure be anchored on a national classroom master plan, clear role-sharing between national agencies, LGUs, and private partners, targeted prioritization of high-need areas, and a centralized monitoring system for all school building efforts. 

DepEd is also updating its national classroom master plan using demographic projections, a prioritization index, and school-level data. It is consolidating LGU and public-private partnership projects into a central database and seeking 2026 budget provisions to allow more flexibility in assigning implementers. 

“Kung gusto nating walang batang maiiwan, kailangan kumilos tayong lahat — mula national hanggang lokal, mula gobyerno hanggang pribadong sektor. Sama-sama nating dapat tiyakin na may silid-aralan ang bawat bata, kahit nasa bundok, isla, o baybayin na binabaha,” Angara said. 

*All Photos from DepEd