President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has formalized a new partnership between the Department of Education (DepEd) and city LGUs to speed up classroom construction, rehabilitation, and repairs nationwide.
The deal, part of the second batch of the Nationwide Classroom Building Program, aims to address the 144,758-classroom shortage as of January 2026.
Marcos Jr. stressed the urgency, noting that overcrowded and shifting classes make learning harder for students and teaching more difficult for educators.
Under the MOA, city governments will handle procurement and construction to hasten implementation, while DepEd will enforce standards and validate compliance before turnover and payment.
The program is backed by P85.4 billion under the 2026 national budget for Basic Education Facilities. Of this, P9.6 billion will fund about 4,000 classrooms under the first tranche, while P5.96 billion will support around 1,700 more classrooms through the new agreements.
Safeguards include tranche-based fund releases, dedicated trust accounts, and mandatory reporting to DepEd.
The President said the initiative complements reforms such as expanding the ARAL Program, accelerating learning material procurement, and improving teachers’ career pathways.
“Hindi lamang tayo nagtatayo ng silid-aralan; nagtatayo tayo ng isang matibay na kinabukasan para sa ating kabataan at para sa ating minamahal na Pilipinas,” he emphasized.IMT
