Flood control projects delay classroom construction, only 22 built to date — DepEd

Classroom backlogs were neglected due to the prioritization of flood control initiatives, Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Sonny Angara said following the report that only 22 out of the 1,700 target classrooms for 2025 were completed by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). 

“Mukhang nawili sila doon sa flood control, sa totoo lang eh. Parang hindi na naging priority ’yung pagtayo ng classroom,” Angara told reporters in an ambush interview at Malacañang on October 21.

At a hearing of the Senate finance committee on the DPWH budget on October 20,  DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon disclosed that 882 classroom projects are in progress, while another 882 “have not yet even started.”

“So, it’s a very deplorable rate of only 15.43%,” he said when asked by the chairperson of the Committee on Basic Education, Senator Bam Aquino, for figures on classroom construction.

Aquino, dismayed by the report, noted that the estimated classroom backlog in the country currently stands at 146,000. 

“When you look at our classrooms, 22 completed for 2025. It’s not even, you can’t even explain that […] even just saying it, sumasakit po ‘yung puso ko na 22 lang ang nagawang classroom,” he said.

In response, Dizon assured that the DPWH would work to speed up classroom construction and coordinate with the DepEd. 

“I think the more important question, Mr. Chairman, is bakit 22 lang ang nagagawa? […] Ano ang cause of delay, pondo ba o proseso ba? Kailangan nating malaman ‘yan,” Dizon said.

Angara: Classroom building reform, urgent 

Admitting the slow pace of classroom construction, Angara stressed that since 2018, only the DPWH has been given the mandate to implement DepEd-funded school infrastructure projects.

He cited the agency’s overwhelming workload and bureaucratic hindrances as possible reasons for the delay.

“Gusto na namin baguhin ’yung sistema […] palagay ko, mas bibilis ang proseso. Sa dami na rin ng ginagawa ng DPWH, nahirapan na rin sila,” he said.

Alongside collaboration with the LGUs, he is looking forward to reviving the public-private partnerships (PPP) to fast-track school construction. 

This model, which was implemented during the tenure of former DepEd chief Brother Armin Luistro, proved effective as it produced 14,000 classrooms in a single rollout, Angara noted.

“Imbis na magpapabid ka ng isang building lamang, nagpapabid ka ng isang libong classroom. Sabay-sabay ’yun,” he said.

Amid setbacks, the DepEd chief is hopeful that construction will speed up under the leadership of Dizon.