BUZZ BEAT MEDIA

In a bold move to ease the classroom shortage that reached 165,000 nationwide in 2022, the Department of Education (DepEd) is working with the private sector and other government agencies to explore new solutions, including leasing closed private schools and other underutilized private properties for classroom use.

DepEd, in partnership with the Student First Coalition (SFC), recently conducted a Classroom Market Scoping Activity through leasing. The activity gathered major real estate developers, government agencies, and property management groups to assess private sector capacity, understand market conditions, and explore partnership models that could make classroom leasing a scalable, cost-efficient strategy nationwide.

“We need to think creatively if we want to move fast,” Education Secretary Sonny Angara said. “Kung may mga paaralan at gusaling nakatengga at maaari namang magamit, buksan natin ito para sa mga kabataang nangangailangan ngayon.”

The market scoping featured the presentation of DepEd’s Standard Classroom Specifications, classroom needs, and the details of its Leasing Pilot Program, followed by an open forum with the private sector.

Leading real estate firms such as Colliers, Santos Knight Frank, Leechiu, Jones Lang LaSalle Inc., Lobien Realty Group, and REBAP Inc. participated in the forum.

Key government partners also joined, including the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD), Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), and the Armed Forces of the Philippines Corps of Engineers (AFP-COE).

The event is part of DepEd’s broader effort to turn the classroom shortage crisis into an opportunity for public-private collaboration and innovation. Insights from the market scoping will feed into the upcoming Classroom Summit, where DepEd aims to consolidate reform proposals and new models of school infrastructure delivery.

Among the first properties being studied for leasing is the Pita Property, formerly the Rainbow Institute of Learning, Inc. in Laguna—a 1,385-square-meter campus closed since 2020. Located just two kilometers from Don Manuel Rivera Memorial Integrated National High School, which currently faces a 22-classroom deficit, the site includes seven classrooms, a cafeteria, an office, and a covered court with a stage.

“This is part of our ongoing effort to turn the tide on classroom shortages,” Undersecretary for Strategic Management Ronald Mendoza said. “Instead of waiting 2 to 3 years for classrooms to be built, we’re looking at existing structures that can be adapted within six months for our learners’ needs.”

DepEd emphasized that the leasing strategy complements, not replaces, its long-term infrastructure programs—including flexible school building implementation, and Public-Private Partnerships—as part of Secretary Angara’s push for strategic, data-driven reforms in basic education.

*All Photos from DepEd