By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet
“Kung walang classroom, wala ring mangyayari.”
Reinforcing his firm commitment to look after the welfare of young learners across the archipelago, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is set to double down on facilitating further integration between the Department of Education (DepEd) and provincial local government units (LGUs).
This, as he leads the memorandum of agreement (MOA) signing of both parties as part of a Nationwide Classroom Building program to address infrastructure gaps within the country’s education system.
In a ceremony held at Malacañang on Wednesday, President Marcos Jr. hailed this initiative as a stepping stone towards raising the bar on the quality of education that Filipino students genuinely deserve.
“With this initiative, we can take a big bite out of that worrying gap, and under this partnership, the DepEd will set technical standards, provide designs, and supply the funding for these classrooms. On the other hand, the LGUs will take the lead in the procurement and actual construction.”
The President moreover, touted this initiative as pivotal in providing educators with a proper setting to indoctrinate their pupils with valuable knowledge, skills, and experiences to succeed in life, and reassuring parents that their children have equitable access to safe and decent classrooms.
Such partnership is made in response to the 145,000-unit deficiency in basic education facilities recorded by the DepEd in December 2025.
Enshrined in the 2026 General Appropriations Act (GAA), the total funds dedicated towards addressing this concerning gap in education infrastructure are pegged at P85.39 billion.
Of this amount, P9.6 billion is allocated for this collaboration between DepEd and provincial LGUs—P4.1 billion of which will be channeled to the coffers of provinces for the construction of approximately 1,200 classrooms. DepEd, on the other hand, will procure about 2,800 prefabricated classrooms valued at more than P5 billion.
Further initiatives to sustain the education sector
The Chief Executive meanwhile cited other initiatives undertaken by the DepEd that extend beyond providing learners and educators with classrooms to conduct meaningful exchanges of knowledge and ideas.
Such includes the agency’s stronger focus on public-private partnerships, as well as collaborations with other government institutions to ensure that Filipino youth experience tangible improvements in their learning experiences.
President Marcos Jr. concluded his remarks by underscoring the importance of reliable connectivity in tandem with the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program, which is both focused on improving the quality of education across the country.
“Sa kasalukuyan, halos 34,000 pampublikong paaralan ay may connectivity na sa internet. Ganun pa man, meron pa ring mga paaralang wala ring koneksyon at meron ding umaasa sa mobile data lamang. Hangad nating makonekta ang mahigit 14,000 paaralan kabilang ang mga unserved at underserved schools lalo na sa mga malalayong lugar.”
“Sa ilalim ng ARAL program, nakikita na natin ang pagbuti ng kakayahan sa pagbasa at pagkatuto ng mga bata. Kaya, pinapalawak pa natin ito.”
jpv
