The private sector must take on a more active role in resolving the country’s perennial shortage of classrooms, which could worsen as 51,000 public school buildings are on the brink of being "structurally unsafe" by 2028. 

Thus, said Parañaque City 2nd district Rep. Brian Raymund Yamsuan, who filed House Bill (HB) No.7362 in a bid to institutionalize a Classroom-Building Acceleration Program (CAP).

Through his measure, Yamsuan wants to encourage civil society organizations (CSOs) to take part in the effort by mandating the adoption of alternative procurement modes and simplified accounting, auditing and liquidation procedures

HB No.7362 or the proposed CAP Act  also authorizes qualified local government units (LGUs) to propose and implement classroom construction projects utilizing national government funds. 

“We needs all hands on deck to solve the massive classroom backlog. While many LGUs are qualified to take part in the Classroom-Building Acceleration Program, the private sector has shown that it is equally, if not more,  capable in constructing school buildings of high quality at less cost,” Yamsuan said. 

Yamsuan commended Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Sonny Angara for spearheading an initiative that would help resolve the 145,000-classroom shortage through Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), with an initial target of building 15,000 classrooms by 2027. According to a DepEd statement, the plan under the PPP School Infrastructure Project stands to benefit 600,000 learners nationwide. 

The current 145,000-classroom backlog, if left unacted upon, would be exacerbated when about 51,000 school buildings reach the end of their 50-year structural lifespan by 2028, Yamsuan pointed out.

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM), the Government Procurement Policy Board (GPPB), and the Commission on Audit (COA), in consultation with the DepEd are mandated under the bill to come up with mechanisms that would facilitate the participation of private sector groups as project proponents in the CAP. 

“This is a shared responsibility. Dahil na rin napakalaki ng ating classroom shortage, hindi kakayanin ng gobyerno na harapin ito ng mag-isa. Kailangan ang whole-of-nation strategy para matuldukan na ang problemang ito (Also because of the enormity of our classroom shortage, the government cannot address this alone. We need a whole-of-nation strategy to finally put an end to this problem),” Yamsuan said.

“We urge our colleagues in the House of Representatives to swiftly act on the proposed CAP Act para sa kapakanan ng mga estudyante sa public schools  na walang choice kundi magklase sa nagsisiksikang classrooms, sa corridor ng eskwelahan, o sa  ilalim ng mga puno (for the welfare of students in public schools who have no choice but to hold class in overcrowded classrooms, in school corridors, or under trees)," noted the former Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) assistant secretary.

The bill pegs the price ceilings for the construction of a classroom in one- to four-story school buildings between P1.6 million and P2.1 million.

This may be adjusted to a maximum of 20 percent to account for regional differences in market prices, site conditions, labor costs, transportation and logistics and other relevant factors, subject to the prior approval of the DepEd. All classroom construction should conform to the DepEd’s Minimum Performance Standards and Specifications.

The proposed CAP Act has been included in the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC)’s list of priority bills that was recently approved by President Marcos.

HB No.7362 and other versions of the CAP Act remain pending in the House of Representatives, while the Senate has already passed its counterpart measure on third and final reading on Jan. 26, 2026. 

Yamsuan thanked the President for including the CAP in the administration’s list of priority bills and expressed the hope that the measure would be enacted into law by July this year.