The Department of Education (DepEd) on Monday, February 9, rolled out its Classroom Leasing Initiative, a stopgap solution aimed at immediately easing classroom congestion in overcrowded public schools while permanent classroom construction is underway.

The initiative was launched in Pila, Laguna, in line with the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., marking the first time DepEd has formally operationalized classroom leasing as a national infrastructure strategy to address space constraints in high-density areas.

DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara led the launch, highlighting the urgency of providing immediate learning spaces for students affected by classroom shortages.

The leased facility now serves as an annex of Don Manuel Rivera Memorial Integrated National High School, allowing Senior High School learners to transfer to a nearby site. This move has helped decongest the main campus and improve learning conditions for both students and teachers.

Angara stressed that classroom leasing is not meant to replace long-term infrastructure programs but to complement them.

“Hindi natin isinasantabi ang pagtatayo ng mga bagong silid-aralan (We are not setting aside the construction of new classrooms),” Angara said, emphasizing that classroom construction continues nationwide.

“Pero habang ginagawa ito, kailangan din nating mag-isip ng mga praktikal at agarang solusyon gaya ng classroom leasing para hindi na maghintay ang mga bata at guro ng ilang taon bago magkaroon ng maayos na lugar para matuto (But while this is being done, we also need to think of practical and immediate solutions such as classroom leasing, so that children and teachers won’t have to wait several years for a proper place to learn),” he added.

Angara explained that the initiative works alongside other strategies, including traditional classroom construction, public-private partnerships, and alternative delivery modalities.

According to DepEd, severe classroom shortages have forced many schools to adopt shifting schedules, reduce instructional time, and stretch teaching resources—particularly in fast-growing provinces and urbanizing municipalities.

Laguna, which ranks among the most congested provinces nationwide, was selected as a pilot area due to its large enrollment population and limited space for school expansion.

DepEd noted that the leased classrooms were refurbished and repurposed within a few months, demonstrating how idle facilities—such as former private schools that closed during the pandemic—can be quickly converted into functional learning spaces.

The agency also emphasized that classroom leasing is a cost-efficient option, especially in areas where land acquisition is difficult or where immediate relief is needed to prevent learner displacement while larger infrastructure projects are still in progress.

Local officials in Pila welcomed the initiative, citing strong national-local collaboration that helped fast-track site identification, coordination with property owners, and the delivery of basic requirements needed to open the facility.

DepEd said it plans to replicate the classroom leasing model in other high-need areas, particularly where local governments and private partners are willing to participate in shared solutions to address classroom congestion.

The initiative, DepEd added, forms part of the Marcos administration’s broader effort to close the country’s classroom gap, combining accelerated construction, partnerships with local governments and the private sector, and flexible, time-bound interventions to protect instructional time and improve learning conditions nationwide.