The Department of Education (DepEd) has announced that local government units (LGUs) across the Philippines are expressing strong satisfaction with their involvement in the newly launched Nationwide Classroom Building Program. This positive sentiment emerged following a landmark partnership between DepEd and LGUs, which aims to expedite the construction of much-needed classrooms throughout the country.
Empowering Local Governments for Faster Results
Education Secretary Sonny Angara highlighted the enthusiasm of LGUs during a recent interview at Malinta Elementary School in Valenzuela City. He emphasized that this initiative aligns with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s directive to empower local governments and address the persistent classroom backlog. "Our LGUs are really happy because the President said let's empower the local government. Instead of asking them to do things, let's be true partners," Angara stated, underscoring the shift from a centralized approach to a collaborative model.
Leveraging Local Expertise and Capacity
Secretary Angara pointed out that LGUs possess significant expertise and resources that can streamline classroom construction. "The LGUs have a lot of expertise—they know where the land is, they have engineering departments, and they have the capacity to manage projects effectively," he explained. This local knowledge is expected to overcome bureaucratic hurdles and accelerate the delivery of classrooms, ensuring that construction aligns with community needs and available resources.
Unified Mechanisms and Financial Support
Under this first-time national-to-local partnership, mechanisms across various local governments will be unified to fast-track processes for classroom building. The DepEd Central Office will play a crucial role by downloading funds to support local construction projects, providing financial backing to complement LGU efforts. This coordinated approach, which also includes public-private partnerships (PPPs), is designed to create a more efficient and responsive system for infrastructure development in education.
Addressing a Critical Classroom Shortage
The urgency of this program is underscored by the current classroom backlog in the Philippines, which DepEd estimates at approximately 165,000 classrooms. By involving LGUs directly, the government aims to tackle this shortage more effectively, leveraging local insights to identify optimal sites and manage construction timelines. The partnership marks a significant step toward improving educational infrastructure and ensuring that students have access to adequate learning environments.
As the program rolls out, the collaboration between DepEd and LGUs is poised to transform how classroom construction is managed, moving away from top-down directives toward a more inclusive and efficient partnership model. This initiative not only addresses immediate infrastructure needs but also fosters greater local autonomy and responsibility in education development.
