House Speaker Martin Romualdez has praised Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Sonny Angara's "direction and compassion", as shown in the agency's partnership with HOPE and other private companies to address the country’s massive classroom backlog.

In a statement Thursday, Aug 28, Romualdez hailed the partnership and called it a landmark collaboration that advances President Marcos' vision of a whole-of-nation approach to transform the education sector.

“Malinaw na ang direksiyon at malasakit ni Secretary Angara ang nagbibigay ng bagong sigla at kumpiyansa sa ating sektor ng edukasyon. Sa kanyang pamumuno, natitiyak natin na ang mga reporma at inisyatiba ng DepEd ay nakaangkla sa pangarap ng Pangulo na mabigyan ng dekalidad na edukasyon ang bawat batang Pilipino,” Romualdez said.

(Secretary Angara’s clear direction and compassion are bringing renewed energy and confidence to our education sector. Under his leadership, we are assured that the reforms and initiatives of the DepEd are anchored on the President’s vision of providing quality education to every Filipino child.)

“Sa pakikipag-tulungan sa pribadong sektor, binubuo din natin ang pundasyon ng mga pangarap ng ating susunod na henerasyon—ang pundasyon na magtataas sa kalidad ng edukasyon sa ating bansa at tutulong sa kanila na maisakatuparan ang kanilang mga panaginip,” added the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) president and Leyte 1st district congressman.

(Through collaboration with the private sector, we are also building the foundation for the dreams of our next generation—a foundation that will raise the quality of education in our country and help them realize their aspiration.)

Established in 2012 by Nanette Medved-Po, the HOPE group—composed of Generation HOPE, Inc. and Friends of HOPE—channels 100 percent of profits from its flagship products, such as Hope in a Bottle and Hope in a Box, into classrooms and other social projects.

To date, the company has built 144 classrooms, benefitting 52,000 learners nationwide. Each classroom measures 7 by 9 meters, is designed to withstand strong typhoons, and comes fully equipped with a chalkboard, a teacher’s desk, fans, a restroom, and ample ventilation.

The Speaker also extolled Angara for his decisive leadership in rallying both government and private stakeholders behind the program.

In his SONA last July 28, President Marcos announced that his administration will work hand in hand with the private sector to build 40,000 additional classrooms by 2028, in line with his goal of ensuring at least one college or technical-vocational graduate in every Filipino family.

“Nagpapasalamat tayo sa ating pribadong sektor sa walang sawang suporta para sa mga adhikain ng Marcos administration. Ito ay patunay na pinapahalagahan din ng pribadong sektor ang edukasyon ng ating mga mag-aaral upang sila ay maging produktibo, ano man ang larangan na kanilang tahakin sa hinaharap,” Romualdez said.

(We thank our private sector for its unwavering support for the goals of the Marcos administration. This proves that the private sector also values the education of our students so that they may become productive, whatever field they choose to pursue in the future.)

He says that Congress is fully behind the President’s education agenda: “Kami sa Kongreso ay buo rin ang suporta sa programa ng Pangulo na magtayo ng mas marami pang silid-aralan at tutugunan namin ang kanyang hiling sa sapat na pondo habang binabalangkas namin ang ₱6.793-trillion na panukalang budget para sa susunod na taon.”

(We in Congress also fully support the President’s program to build more classrooms, and we will respond to his request for sufficient funding as we draft the ₱6.793-trillion proposed budget for the coming year.)

In the 2026 proposed national budget, ₱28.1 billion has been allocated for Basic Education Facilities, which includes the construction of 4,869 new classrooms and the rehabilitation of existing ones.

Romualdez noted that this collaboration is not only about building classrooms but also about demonstrating the essence of Bagong Pilipinas—where government, private sector, and communities work hand in hand to uplift lives and create lasting change.

“Much more should be done to close the gaps and help advance our education system. As we deliberate on the proposed funding for our teachers and learners, we will see to it that every peso from our taxpayers is prudently and wisely spent for the future of our young, many of whom only wish to uplift their families out of poverty,” he said.