Citing the need for classrooms conducive to learning, the government was urged to utilize partnerships between local government units (LGUs) and the private sector to accelerate the construction of cost-effective classrooms and eliminate shifting schedules for Kindergarten to Grade 3 students.

“Our consultations with teachers and parents on the ground consistently show that children struggle to learn in overcrowded, dilapidated spaces,” said Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) Executive Director Karol Mark Yee in a statement.

Addressing the classroom shortage, Yee added, is a “critical reform that needs to be pushed fast; we have no time to waste.”

During the Senate Basic Education Committee hearing on classroom congestion on August 13, the committee discussed various solutions to the Department of Education’s (DepEd) 165,000-classroom backlog.

Citing the committee’s findings, EDCOM 2 pointed out that this severe shortage forces thousands of schools into multi-shift schedules, hampering effective learning—especially for Kindergarten to Grade 3 students, who are still non-independent learners.

Compounding the crisis are classrooms still in use from the 1960s, many of which are now condemned or repurposed as evacuation centers, EDCOM 2 said.

EDCOM 2, created under Republic Act 11899, is mandated to assess the Philippine education sector and recommend laws over the next three years to address the national education crisis.

Citing findings from the EDCOM 2 Year Two Report, EDCOM 2 Co-Chair and Senate Basic Education Chairperson Sen. Bam Aquino noted that classroom construction costs vary significantly and lack standardization.

The report revealed stark differences in per-classroom costs:

- DepEd: P2.5 million per classroom

- DPWH: P3.5 million per classroom (P29,838– P 36,067 per sqm)

- Dumaguete City (LGU): P2.1 million per classroom

- Public–private partnerships: P1.5 million per classroom

- Federation of Filipino Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FFCCCII) “Bari School” program: P8,000–P10,000 per sqm

- Angat Buhay Foundation: P862,500 per classroom

EDCOM 2 Commissioner Senator Loren Legarda also raised concerns over the “nearly doubled costs” of DPWH projects.

She stressed that if private contractors can deliver comparable quality at much lower prices, the pricing practices of government contractors should be closely examined.

Senator Kiko Pangilinan expressed frustration over the disparity in classroom construction timelines, highlighting inefficiencies in publicly funded projects.

He cited Aquino’s observation that LGU–private sector partnerships can complete classrooms in under a year, while national government agencies often take several years.

“Mas mahal na, mas mabagal pa (It’s more expensive now, and even slower),” Pangilinan lamented, underscoring the urgent need to review procurement and implementation practices in public infrastructure.

EDCOM 2 emphasized that LGU–private sector classroom projects are typically completed in less than a year, compared to the years needed for national government-funded builds.

To help address the backlog, Aquino filed Senate Bill No. 121, which would authorize LGUs and private organizations to construct classrooms with funding support from the national government.

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian backed the measure, citing Valenzuela City’s successful “counterparting” program, where simultaneous construction by LGUs, private groups, and the national government drastically shortened completion times.

However, Gatchalian proposed adjusting funding shares for poorer municipalities, recommending that 4th- and 5th-class towns contribute less to avoid straining their limited resources.

Aquino warned that without urgent reforms, the shortage could last for decades.

“If we can’t find a solution to the classroom backlog, we’re not just looking at years—we’re looking at decades. It might take more than five presidents before we catch up with this shortage, unless we act urgently and give it the attention it truly deserves,” Aquino said in a mix of English and Filipino.