For too long, the national classroom shortage has been treated as an unfortunate reality rather than an urgent priority. That mindset ends now. We have reached a decisive turning point. Local government units are finally empowered to take the lead in delivering the infrastructure our children deserve.

Last Jan. 28, we hosted a historic gathering at the Makabagong San Juan Theater inside our Makabagong San Juan National Government Center: the Mayor’s Dialogue on Accelerating Classroom-Building. Two hundred thirty-eight local chief executives from across the country came together with a single objective — to confront the classroom deficit head-on and to act.

The mission was clear. We need to build more classrooms. For decades, classroom construction was trapped in a centralized system weighed down by inefficiencies and corruption. This dialogue marked the shift from delay to delivery.

The numbers demand urgency. We face a backlog of 165,000 classrooms. Without decisive intervention, that number could balloon to 230,000 by 2028. To reverse the trend, we must build at least 39,000 classrooms annually. The 2026 national budget allocates P66 billion for this purpose. Our task is to translate that allocation into 25,000 to 30,000 classrooms within the year.

That is not an aspiration. It is a mandate.

I thank President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. for his directive that classroom construction funds be downloaded directly to local government units (LGUs) specifically provinces, cities and municipalities. That decision signals trust in local governments and a commitment to cut through bureaucratic bottlenecks. I would like to recognize Senator Bam Aquino for providing the legislative backbone for reform through Senate Bill No. 1482, the Classroom-Building Acceleration Program Act, which he authored, and DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara for ensuring that the Department of Education is a true partner in implementation. Their presence at the Dialogue reflected a unified national effort to deliver results.

During the event, mayors raised practical concerns and worked through technical requirements. With DepEd’s guidance and resilient design standards, we confirmed what many of us already knew: when construction is localized, we can build faster, build smarter, and stretch public funds further. Localized implementation can nearly double output for the same investment.

But planning is only the beginning. Implementation is where leadership is tested.

To my fellow mayors: the window is open. Let us act with urgency. Let us ensure that our documentation is complete, our technical teams are ready, and our processes are transparent. Every delay results in classrooms not being built for our children.

Local autonomy comes with responsibility. This is our opportunity to demonstrate that decentralization delivers. Let integrity define this program. Let transparency guide every contract. Let accountability be visible in every project site.

We are not simply building classrooms. We are rebuilding trust in public service.

As national president of the League of Cities of the Philippines, President of the Metro Manila Council and Mayor of the City of San Juan, I have seen how transformational leadership works. It is grounded in discipline, transparency, and the will to act.

To our students and their families: we see your reality. We understand the overcrowded rooms, the need for shifting in classroom utilization, the makeshift spaces. This reform is for you. Your education is non-negotiable.

Education remains the great equalizer. It is the pathway to opportunity, dignity, and progress. By accelerating classroom construction today, we are investing directly in the strength of our nation tomorrow.

Now is the time to build. Not slowly. Not cautiously. But responsibly and decisively.

Our children deserve nothing less.

To all my fellow mayors and to our governors, President Marcos Jr. has given his full trust and confidence in our capacity to build classrooms, let us show the Filipino people that we can deliver. It’s time for us, LGUs, to shine.