Several senators on Tuesday pressed education and public works officials to explain why government-built classrooms cost significantly more than those funded by local governments and private partners.
At a Senate basic education committee hearing, DepEd Assistant Secretary Aurelio Paulo Bartolome disclosed that a single classroom typically costs between ₱2.6 million and ₱3.8 million to build. But former Dumaguete City Mayor Felipe Remollo said their LGU-private sector partnerships delivered classrooms for just ₱1.5 million each, while city-funded ones averaged ₱2.1 million. In Iloilo, Senator Bam Aquino noted the cost was even lower at ₱1.35 million per classroom.
Senator Loren Legarda was blunt, saying she “cannot imagine” why the price nearly doubles under the national government, stressing that the current budget could build twice as many classrooms if private-sector-level costs were achieved. Aquino added that it was time to “drill down” to the cost of every material — from cement to nails — to determine if the higher government price tag is justified.
Senator Raffy Tulfo also raised the lack of adequate toilets in multi-storey public schools, warning that students lose 10–15 minutes just to use the bathroom. He called for more funding for both classrooms and essential facilities.
Finance committee chair Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said the country needs around ₱413 billion to address the shortage of 165,000 classrooms nationwide. Education Secretary Sonny Angara earlier warned that, at the current construction pace, clearing this backlog could take over 50 years.
