A PHILIPPINE Senator on Wednesday called on the Education department to revive a program that partners with local government units to share the costs of classroom construction.
“I am urging the Department of Education (DepEd) to revive the ‘counterpart’ program, where local government units (LGU) and the national government share 50% each for the cost of new classrooms, with LGUs handling the actual construction,” Senator Sherwin T. Gatchalian said in a statement.
A report by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) said that the government must build at least 7,000 classrooms annually in the next 15 years to close the country’s severe public school classroom gap.
Earlier this year, DepEd estimated it would take 55 years to bridge the backlog of about 165,000 classrooms if the present pace of construction continues.
“We need to be proactive in addressing the shortage of classrooms, especially since this is a basic need of our students,” Mr. Gatchalian said.
He added that if LGUs construct simultaneously with DepEd, the country can significantly increase the number of classrooms built.
“With construction costs reaching P413.6 billion, collective efforts will help us address the shortage of over 165,000 classrooms more effectively,” he said.
A separate PIDS study identified the National Capital Region, Calabarzon, Soccsksargen, and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao as having the widest gaps in classroom-to-student ratios. Most shortages were reported in elementary schools, followed by junior and senior high schools.
Under the 2025 national budget, DepEd was given P28 billion for basic education facilities, P7.18 billion of which was earmarked for new kindergarten, elementary, and high school buildings, while P6.13 billion was allotted for school repairs. — Adrian H. Halili
