What number of lecture rooms will DPWH construct in 2026?

Training Secretary Sonny Angara says that beneath the 2026 Basic Appropriations Act, DepEd, native authorities items, and civil society organizations with a confirmed report in development shall be allowed to construct lecture rooms

MANILA, Philippines – The Division of Training (DepEd) will begin the development of round 24,000 lecture rooms this yr, however what number of of those shall be constructed by the Division of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)?

Since 1995, the DPWH has had the only real authority to assemble lecture rooms, in accordance with Republic Act 7880 or the Honest and Equitable Entry to Training Act. Funding for college buildings was “instantly launched to and administered” by the company. The DepEd stated designating DPWH because the implementer is supposed to “depoliticize and guarantee equitable allocation of faculty constructing funds.”

Nonetheless, the DPWH has been on the middle of a corruption scandal that was uncovered final yr following the invention or “ghost” or non-existent and substandard infrastructure tasks resembling lecture rooms and people for flood management.

Of the 1,700 lecture rooms projected to be in-built 2025, solely 22 had been accomplished and about 800 had been nonetheless in development as of October final yr.

Lawmakers additionally questioned the supposed overpriced classroom development prices which vary from P2.8 million to P3.5 million.

Amid the controversy, classroom development will now not be restricted to the DPWH.

Training Secretary Sonny Angara defined that beneath the 2026 Basic Appropriations Act, the DepEd, native authorities items (LGU), and even civil society organizations with a confirmed report in development shall be allowed to construct lecture rooms.

Solely 1 / 4 of the projected 24,000 lecture rooms shall be constructed beneath the DPWH, Angara stated.

“Ang plano dito (The plan right here) is about — on the most 25% [of the classrooms] shall be DPWH-based. So, you’re speaking about possibly 6,000 [classrooms],” he stated at a Palace briefing on Tuesday, January 6.

Angara, nonetheless, famous that DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon desires to be “conservative” with the determine.

“They’re taking a look at 2,000 lecture rooms. So, we’ve to essentially settle that with Sec. Vince and DPWH, ilan talaga ‘yung kaya nilang i-construct (what number of can they assemble) of the 24,000 [classrooms]?” the schooling chief stated.

The vast majority of the lecture rooms, in the meantime, shall be constructed or bid out by native authorities items.

“Gustong-gusto nila (LGUs) na i-take on. They need as a lot of the development to be downloaded to them. Hopefully, mabigay ng DBM (Division of Finances and Administration) kaagad ‘yung pera para ma-download namin sa native governments,” he stated.

(LGUs are desirous to tackle the classroom development. They need as a lot of the development to be downloaded to them. Hopefully, the DBM instantly releases the price range so we might obtain it to native governments.)

For 2026, the price range of DepEd and its hooked up businesses is P1.015 trillion. Of this quantity, P65 billion shall be used for the development of recent lecture rooms.

“We don’t anticipate all of these 24,000 [classrooms] to be constructed in three hundred and sixty five days kasi (as a result of) traditionally, hindi talaga nangyayari ‘yun (that doesn’t occur). On the very least, mauumpisahan ‘yan (development of the lecture rooms will begin),” he stated, including that, at instances, a part of the price range is disbursed within the latter a part of the yr.

As of 2025, the Philippines has a scarcity of some 165,000 lecture rooms. – Rappler.com