By Lane Afable, News Editor
Education Secretary Sonny Angara announced that 14 provinces may now begin the procurement process for classroom construction projects following the official signing of supplemental Memoranda of Agreement under the Department of Education’s (DepEd) Classroom Building Program.
The qualified provinces—which include Ifugao, Mt. Province, Abra, Ilocos Sur, Pangasinan, Quezon, Sorsogon, Oriental Mindoro, Samar, Biliran, Southern Leyte, Siquijor, Dinagat Island, and Misamis Oriental—can now initiate their respective procurement processes.
”This is part of President Bongbong Marcos’ directive to accelerate the construction of educational facilities by empowering local governments as partners in implementation.
“By utilizing local capacity and expertise, we can more quickly build the classrooms that our teachers and students desperately need,” Angara said.
Key Highlights of the Program
Capacity Building:
DepEd conducted two online technical workshops with Local Government Units (LGUs) to share programs of work, detailed engineering and architectural designs, procurement timelines, and sample bidding documents to ensure a smooth transition.
Expansion:
An additional 37 supplemental MOAs are scheduled for signing in the coming weeks. DepEd aims to complete agreements for all remaining provinces and cities in the next round.
Preparation:
Other LGUs and schools division offices have already conducted market scoping and site validation to ensure project viability.
Legal Basis:
This massive project is anchored in the 2026 General Appropriations Act, which allows DepEd to partner with the DPWH, LGUs, the AFP Corps of Engineers, and the private sector to address classroom shortages.
Decentralization and Accountability
Since taking office in July 2024, Secretary Angara has advocated for more flexible fund downloading to LGUs to fast-track construction.
This aims to decentralize procurement and construction management while DepEd maintains oversight to ensure shared accountability.
Just this week, President Marcos ordered the release of Php 17.27 billion for the construction of 4,960 classrooms nationwide, including equipment such as chairs and desks.
Responsibilities of LGUs:
▪︎ Act as the procuring entities (managing bidding and construction).
▪︎ Handle funds and comply with procurement laws.
Open separate trust accounts for transparency.
▪︎ Submit monthly and quarterly financial reports.
Role of DepEd:
▪︎ Serve as the technical authority overseeing designs.
▪︎ Conduct inspections to ensure buildings meet national standards.
▪︎ Strategic Partnerships
To further expedite the process, DepEd has formally strengthened its partnership with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) through a MOA to ensure technical validation and infrastructure quality.
Additionally, DepEd has opened bidding for the Public-Private Partnership for School Infrastructure Project Phase III (PSIP III), which targets the construction of 3,563 classrooms across 329 sites in the National Capital Region (NCR), Cordillera Administrative Region, and Regions I through V.
This unified effort between the national and local governments aims to provide a safe and conducive learning environment for millions of Filipino students.
