The Department of Education (DepEd) does not expect all 24,000 classrooms funded under the new budget to be completed within a year, Education Secretary Sonny Angara said Tuesday, citing construction bottlenecks, delayed fund releases, and partner capacity limits.
“Just to clarify, we don’t expect all of those 24,000 to be constructed in 365 days kasi historically hindi talaga nangyayari iyon,” Angara said, noting that projects often take two to three years when funds are released late.
President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. earlier emphasized the record education budget to ease classroom shortages. Angara said the funding enables DepEd to pursue the target, but not to finish all units in one year.
The Department of Public Works and Highways may build around 2,000 classrooms, while the rest will be handled by local governments, civil society groups, and non-government partners.
“Gustung-gusto ng LGUs na i-take on ang construction… hopefully mabigay ng DBM kaagad iyong pera para ma-download namin sa local government,” Angara said.
He added that last-mile schools—remote, underserved campuses—will receive more than ₱1 billion to ensure they are not crowded out by urban projects.
“Para doon talaga ang pondo para sa last mile schools, so hindi sila mako-crowd out ng urban areas,” he said.
Angara acknowledged challenges flagged in past reports but said the new approach would be more efficient.
“May growing pains dahil first time gagawin ito, pero mas magiging episyente ito sa dating sistema,” he said.
DepEd also plans to hire about 65,000 teaching and non-teaching personnel in 2026, with applicant supply expected to exceed demand.