Municipal mayors across the country are being tapped as frontline partners in a push to eliminate the classroom backlog, with Education Secretary Sonny Angara signing a memorandum of understanding with the League of Municipalities of the Philippines on Tuesday, March 10.
Addressing more than 1,300 mayors at the ceremonial signing, Angara outlined a multi-track approach to closing the deficit — one that leans on local government units, private investment, and an overhaul of how schooling is delivered.
Among the options under study is a “4+1” blended learning model, in which students attend on-site classes four days a week and shift to online learning on the fifth. The arrangement is being evaluated as a way to reduce physical pressure on congested schools.
“We are no longer content with the old system. We are changing the way we deliver to make it faster, more efficient, more effective and more transparent,” Angara said.
On the construction side, DepEd is targeting the delivery of 30,000 classrooms through conventional procurement by 2028, with another 16,000 units in high-congestion areas earmarked under Phase 3 of the Public-Private Partnership for School Infrastructure Project. The department is also seeking private sector donations to fund an additional 2,000 learning spaces, while exploring the leasing or purchase of foreclosed private properties that could yield roughly 1,000 classrooms in the near term.
The 2026 General Appropriations Act now allows LGUs to act as primary implementers of school building projects alongside the Department of Public Works and Highways and the AFP Corps of Engineers — an arrangement Angara said enables mayors to directly identify sites for new construction or repairs.
“Education is a shared responsibility, and our LGUs are the best-positioned partners to ensure these funds are translated into actual, usable classrooms for our learners,” he said.
Prefabricated learning continuity spaces were also promoted as a faster, cheaper construction alternative. Following pilots in Masbate and Davao del Norte, some 2,571 units are set for deployment across 1,017 municipalities this year.
Angara is also pushing for the expansion of the voucher program to cover primary education, and encouraged municipalities to consolidate their Special Education Funds to support larger-scale initiatives such as central kitchens for school feeding programs.
“We are not just sharing resources, we are actualizing President Marcos’ vision to modernize our classrooms through the kind of innovative funding that ensures no student is left behind by a lack of local budget,” Angara said.
Mayors were urged to coordinate with provincial governors to take full advantage of the flexible construction provisions embedded in the GAA.
