DepEd taps LGUs vs classroom shortage

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January 16, 2026 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines —  Education Secretary Sonny Angara yesterday sought the help of local government units (LGUs) in addressing the 165,000-classroom shortage.

Angara discussed the matter with League of Cities of the Philippines (LCP) president and San Juan Mayor Francis Zamora.

“With the help of the 149 LCP member cities, we expect the immediate operationalization of the new process under the 2026 national budget, where LGUs will partner with DepEd as additional implementers in the construction of new classrooms that our students need,” Angara said.

Education officials have noted that construction delays and unfinished projects have worsened classroom overcrowding, forcing many schools to operate on double or triple shifts and limiting the full implementation of the K-12 curriculum.

According to DepEd data, Calabarzon has the highest classroom shortage with 31,002, followed by the National Capital Region with 24,847 and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao with 13,237.

Luzon accounts for 54 percent of the classroom shortage estimated at 165,443.

Other regions with classroom shortages are Regions 3, 7, 10, 11, 12, 5 and 9.

The Economic Development Council, chaired by President Marcos, had approved Phase 3 of the Public-Private Partnership for School Infrastructure Project, which forms part of broader reforms to speed up classroom construction and improve governance in school infrastructure.

The project complements nearly 24,000 classrooms already programmed for 2026 under the national budget, as well as initiatives allowing LGUs to construct school buildings.

The DepEd plans to build 105,000 classrooms from 2026 to 2031 under a build-lease-and-transfer scheme.