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Bella Cariaso - The Philippine Star
December 25, 2025 | 12:00am
“On our last Monday of the year in the office, we convened the infrastructure group to prepare for next year, the department’s various modalities for building classrooms. In each option, we will ensure that every peso is used correctly,” Sonny Angara said on Facebook.
Senate Release / File
MANILA, Philippines — Seeking to close a nationwide shortage of 165,000 classrooms, Education Secretary Sonny Angara has mobilized the Department of Education (DepEd)’s infrastructure group to finalize measures to speed up classroom construction in 2026.
“On our last Monday of the year in the office, we convened the infrastructure group to prepare for next year, the department’s various modalities for building classrooms. In each option, we will ensure that every peso is used correctly,” Angara said on Facebook.
As early as January next year, DepEd will have a running list of school sites with available space and no legal impediments. These sites will be developed by DepEd in partnership with local government units (LGUs) and civil society organizations.
Priority will be given to the construction of last-mile schools and temporary learning spaces for communities affected by recent calamities.
To fully bridge the gap, Angara pointed out that the department must build at least 200,000 classrooms over the next five to 10 years.
Beyond construction, DepEd has also sought the assistance of LGUs in providing land for new school buildings, as two-thirds or 67 percent of the country’s 40,000 public schools do not own the land they occupy.
Aging infrastructure has also come under scrutiny. To address this, Angara revealed that DepEd plans to condemn school buildings that are more than 50 years old due to safety concerns.
DepEd is currently considering setting a cost limit of a little over P3 million per classroom, noting that construction costs vary depending on location and logistics.
In a separate development, the Teachers Dignity Coalition reported yesterday deductions in the year-end incentives of many teachers due to loans obtained from private lending institutions.
“That’s why the secret of getting ahead is getting started. So even though it’s holiday break, the department continues to work to ensure that by the start of the new year, we are full speed ahead in building comfortable and safe classrooms for our students,” he said.
Beyond construction, DepEd has also sought the assistance of LGUs in providing land for new school buildings, as two-thirds, or 67 percent, of the country’s 40,000 public schools do not own the land they occupy.
Aging infrastructure has also come under scrutiny. To address this, Angara revealed that DepEd plans to condemn school buildings that are more than 50 years old due to safety concerns.
“When President Bongbong (Marcos) and I inspected some of the schools, he noticed that the designs were still from his father’s time. The expectation is about 20 to 25 years, but it is over 50 years because the school buildings were built in the 1970s,” he said.
DepEd is currently considering setting a cost limit of a little over P3 million per classroom, noting that construction costs vary depending on location and logistics.
In a separate development, the Teachers Dignity Coalition (TDC) reported yesterday deductions in the year-end incentives of many teachers due to loans obtained from private lending institutions.
