79 LGUs begin classroom construction

The Department of Education (DepEd) said on Tuesday that 79 local government units (LGUs) have begun construction of school facilities to address the nationwide classroom deficit.

“Through this collaboration with local government units, we can significantly accelerate the construction of school facilities,” Education Secretary Edgardo “Sonny” M. Angara said in Filipino in a news release.

“DepEd cannot solve the classroom shortage on its own, which is why the support of LGUs is crucial in ensuring that our learners have safe and comfortable schools,” he added.

The partnership, with P9.3 billion investment, aims to deliver 2,632 classrooms in 666 school sites nationwide.

Partner LGUs may hire local contractors through competitive bidding or use their own city and provincial engineers, provided that the latter meet national standards.

Each project will follow a “construction milestones-based” structure, which the agency said will ensure responsible use of funds. Project funding will be released in three tranches based on the verified construction milestones.

The agency also aims to oversee the projects through its Project Implementation and Construction Committee (PICC). Meanwhile, LGUs are required to use a digital validation and monitoring system to track project progress and avoid construction delays.

“We put these guidelines in place not to create additional burdens or delay the process, but to speed up the release of funds while ensuring that our projects are transparent, high-quality, and free from anomalies,” Mr. Angara said.

DepEd noted that the localized program complements its other infrastructure initiatives. The agency earlier reported that out of the 21,714 classrooms worth P58.231 billion,  10,488 classrooms amounting to P36.227 billion are already underway.

Meanwhile, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has secured P7.627 billion funding approval for 2,217 classrooms, and a second batch worth P3.615 billion is being requested to cover 1,081 classrooms.

DepEd targets to begin the construction of 24,964 classrooms this year to address the current 165,000 classroom gap.

Data from the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) showed that over 120,000 buildings across the country have exceeded the 25-year lifespan for classrooms, on top of the existing classroom shortage. — Almira Louise S. Martinez