BUZZ BEAT MEDIA

The Department of Education (DepEd) is pushing for a stronger partnership with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and local government units (LGUs) to construct more access roads to public schools, especially in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas.  

The initiative aligns with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s commitment to improving access to essential services through strategic infrastructure and supports DepEd’s broader push to remove physical barriers to learning. 

In a formal proposal to DPWH, DepEd recommended the inclusion of access roads to public schools in the department’s programming and investment plans, especially for newly constructed schools with no road access. 

Education Secretary Sonny Angara underscored the importance of the initiative, drawing from his recent visits in last mile schools in Mindanao.  

“Noong pumunta kami sa Buenavista, Agusan del Norte, nakita natin ang realidad. May mga estudyanteng kailangang tumawid ng ilog at umakyat ng bundok para lang makapasok sa paaralan. Hindi puwedeng puro classrooms lang ang itatayo natin kung wala namang daan papunta roon,” Angara said. 

“Kung may farm-to-market road, dapat may road-to-school din,” he added. 

DepEd also pointed to DPWH’s successful infrastructure collaborations with other agencies, such as the Tourism Road Infrastructure Program (TRIP) with the Department of Tourism (DOT), the Farm-to-Market Road Development Program (FMRDP) with the Department of Agriculture (DA), and the Roads Leveraging Linkages of Industry and Trade (ROLL-IT) with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)) as strong models of interagency coordination. 

To support this push, DepEd is proposing a special provision under its FY 2026 Basic Education Facilities Fund (BEFF) that all newly constructed school buildings have corresponding access roads with the DPWH and LGUs to immediately include the construction of roads in cases where none is available.  

DepEd said it looks forward to working closely with DPWH and local government units to identify priority areas and ensure that no school and learner is left behind. 

*All Photos from DepEd