The Department of Education (DepEd) gathered its Adopt-a-School partners and private sector allies on Friday, October 10, for a Classroom Market Scoping Activity — a key step toward mobilizing more partners to help close the country’s classroom backlog through transparent and standards-based collaboration.

DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara, in a statement, said the initiative reflects DepEd’s priority to ensure that future classrooms are durable, safe, and aligned with the administration’s commitment to high-quality education infrastructure.

“Unang-una, prayoridad natin ang masiguro na maayos at matibay ang mga maipapatayo nating silid-aralan sa tulong ng ating partners (First and foremost, our priority is to ensure that the classrooms we build—with the help of our partners—are sturdy and well-constructed),” Angara said.

Angara noted that President Marcos also wants public school facilities to be of high quality in the coming years.

The activity showcased DepEd’s updated classroom designs and technical specifications, including plans for Integrated Learning Resource Centers (ILRCs) and WASH facilities.

It also provided updates on procurement modalities—particularly Negotiated Procurement and the Adopt-a-School Program (ASP)—to help partners align their initiatives with DepEd’s standards.

DepEd said the session builds on a series of market scoping activities focusing on Temporary Learning Spaces (TLS), Supplementary Learning Resources (SLRs), and education technology solutions.

These efforts help DepEd assess supply availability, cost efficiency, and logistical feasibility for addressing learning resource needs nationwide.

Undersecretary for Procurement and Finance Oversight Rowena Candice Ruiz emphasized that transparency is at the core of the activity.

“One of the goals of Market Scoping is transparency,” Ruiz said. “We’re calling everyone in—we are presenting what we need, and we are making it known to our partners what our children need for their classrooms,” she added.

By opening its procurement pipeline and design plans to partners, DepEd aims to bridge information gaps and make it easier for organizations to identify investment opportunities that can accelerate classroom construction across the country.

“This activity affirms the Department’s commitment to providing conducive learning spaces while upholding accountability and transparency,” Ruiz added. “We are opening our doors so our partners can clearly see how they can support not just DepEd, but also our learners, teachers, and schools.”

The event brought together key partners from the development and corporate sectors, including Aboitiz, Angat Buhay, Asian Development Bank (ADB), Ayala Foundation, Inc., China Bank Savings, City Savings Bank, Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (FFCCCII), Generation Hope, Globe, Gokongwei Brothers Foundation, Hawkstow Construction and Development, Hybrid Solutions Asia, Jollibee Foods Corporation, EM Cuerpo, Inc. Construction, Net Solar, One Meralco Foundation, Republic Biscuit Corporation, Security Bank Foundation, and the Yellow Boat of Hope Foundation, among others.

Hosted at the Senate President Neptali Gonzales Integrated School in Mandaluyong City, the event marked another milestone in DepEd’s ongoing effort to strengthen public-private partnerships toward quality education for every Filipino learner.

DepEd also announced plans to hold a Classroom Summit in Clark, Pampanga, in November 2025, where partners will finalize partnership models and formalize commitments forged through the market scoping process.