Around 685 school buildings were constructed from 2021 to 2025, benefitting 728,820 students in 660 insurgency-cleared barangays under the Support to Barangay Development Program (SBDP), the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) reported on Friday, Dec. 5.

The DILG emphasized that the P1.787-billion worth of SBDP-funded school buildings represent more than just infrastructure, describing them as “a clear sign that government is finally reaching communities that once lived far from basic services.”

With 834 new classrooms now operational, the DILG said children who previously had to walk long distances or study in unsafe makeshift spaces finally have safe and conducive learning environments that protect their well-being and strengthen their educational foundation.

In Paoc Norte, Sta. Lucia, Ilocos Sur, Master Teacher II Agripino M. Rosimo Jr. recalled that the need for a new school building was first raised during a Retooled Community Support Program (RCSP) consultation. He later helped monitor the project until its completion.

“Ang proyekto ay hindi lamang nakapagpatayo ng mga silid-aralan kundi nakapagpatatag din ng ugnayan at malasakit sa pagitan ng paaralan at komunidad. Nagbubunga pa ito ng mas matatag na pundasyon para sa edukasyon at kaunlaran ng mga Kabataan (The project did not merely build classrooms but also strengthened the bond and shared concern between the school and the community, creating a stronger foundation for the education and development of the youth),” Rosimo said.

In Saliducon, Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur, one of the poorest barangays in the area, Punong Barangay Chona Canoy Eting shared how the newly built classrooms finally addressed the school’s long-time shortage of learning spaces.

“Dati sa ilalim ng puno ng santol kami nagkaklase nung nag-aaral pa ako. Ngayon, naging komportable na ang mga bata sa silid-aralan at mas naii-engganyo ang komunidad na papasukin sa paaralan ang mga anak nila dahil maganda at matiwasay na ang mga silid-paaralan (We used to hold classes under a santol tree when I was a student. Now, children can study comfortably inside proper classrooms, and parents are more encouraged to send their kids to school because the facilities are well-built and peaceful),” Eting said.

As of October 2025, the DILG reported that 68 more school building projects are under implementation, 19 are undergoing procurement, and 95 are in the pre-procurement stage. Once completed, a total of 1,083 classrooms will rise across 660 former conflict-affected barangays.

The DILG stressed that the RCSP and SBDP remain flagship components of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), and are central to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s whole-of-nation approach to securing long-term peace and development in communities that once faced instability.

Aside from school buildings, other SBDP projects include water systems, barangay health stations, agricultural facilities, housing and rehabilitation efforts, farm-to-market roads, and rural electrification.