The Department of Education (DepEd) has tapped 14 provincial governments to lead the construction of new classrooms, marking a shift toward decentralized implementation to ease overcrowding in public schools more quickly.
Under newly signed agreements, these provinces are now authorized to manage both the procurement and construction of school facilities as part of the government’s efforts to address the country’s persistent classroom backlog more efficiently.
Education Secretary Sonny Angara said participating provinces—including Ifugao, Sorsogon, Abra, Quezon, Pangasinan, and Misamis Oriental—have entered into supplemental memoranda of agreement with DepEd, allowing them to begin their respective projects.
The initiative follows a directive from Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to accelerate education infrastructure by empowering local government units (LGUs) to take a more active role.
“By utilizing local capacity and expertise, we can build the classrooms that our teachers and students urgently need more quickly,” Angara said.
He added that leveraging local expertise is expected to speed up construction timelines and better respond to community needs. To support the transition, DepEd has conducted technical workshops for local officials on project design, procurement, and bidding processes.
The program forms part of the government’s broader infrastructure push under the 2026 national budget, which allows DepEd to partner with LGUs, the Department of Public Works and Highways, Armed Forces engineering units, and private contractors.
Earlier, the national government approved the release of P17.27 billion to fund nearly 5,000 classrooms nationwide, providing immediate relief to congested schools.
Under the arrangement, LGUs will handle procurement and construction management while ensuring compliance with building regulations. They are also required to maintain separate trust accounts for project funds and submit regular financial reports to DepEd to ensure transparency.
DepEd said more agreements are expected in the coming weeks, with dozens of additional provinces and cities set to join the nationwide rollout.