The Department of Education (DepEd) assured on Thursday, July 23 that it is committed to deliver the needed classrooms to address the current backlog nationwide as its partnership with local government units (LGUs) are expected to expand steadily as the agency’s project milestones progress.

Speaking before the Senate Committee on Basic Education hearing chaired by Sen. Paolo “Bam” Aquino IV, DepEd Undersecretary for Legal and Legislative Affairs Filemon Ray Javier said that the agency is implementing long-term, structural solutions to address the country’s classroom backlog.

In fact, he said the DepEd has expanded its nationwide school infrastructure program, reaching 100 percent of provinces, 87 percent of cities, and 75 percent of municipalities—representing 1,118 out of 1,493 municipalities across the country.  

Since DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara assumed office two years ago, Javier said it has been clear that one of the agency’s priorities is addressing the classroom shortage across the country. 

“For a problem of this magnitude, the solution must be both permanent and well-planned,” Javier reported to the Senate.

“We assure this Committee that we remain steadfast in ensuring that we deliver the promised classrooms at the soonest possible time. We needed to undergo delicate and deliberate steps in ensuring that the solution to this problem is permanent,” he added. 

Of the total P 67.9-billion total program allocation for Fiscal Year 2026, DepEd has already mobilized P 49.8-billion across multiple channels to deliver an initial batch of 14,601 new classrooms. 

This initial funding package allocates P 22.35-billion for LGU projects to build 6,353 classrooms, P20.85-billion via the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for 6,134 classrooms, P3.5-billion for 1,622 DepEd Learning Continuity Spaces (LCS), and P3-billion for civil society and non-government organizations (NGOs) and Last Mile Schools (LMS) to build 515 classrooms.  

Currently, Javier said 209 LGUs are actively moving through various stages of the procurement process. 

Moreover Notices to Proceed have been issued in provinces like Biliran and Mountain Province, and Resolutions to Award in Nueva Ecija and Ilocos Sur.

"Classroom construction projects are moving forward, and the Department is intentional about thorough preparation at the outset to ensure the honest use of public funds for the benefit of our learners,” Javier told the Senate panel.

To prevent past administrative delays caused by incomplete paper records, DepEd also conducted systematic legal and technical validations—reviewing over 47,972 original school site records to confirm buildable space and ownership.  

Also, DepEd deployed one engineer and four technical personnel to every Schools Division Office (SDO). Each team validated and digitized over 47,972 original school site records to confirm ownership and buildable space. 

To further expand capacity, the official said DepEd is leveraging a pipeline of 16,000 classrooms under Public-Private Partnership for School Infrastructure Project (PSIP3), and is pursuing leasing and acquisition programs to secure 1,000 classrooms in high-density urban areas across Metro Manila, Central Luzon, and Calabarzon.