Marcos orders classroom funds redirected to LGUs as DepEd faults DPWH for construction delays

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered that funding for classroom construction be transferred directly to local government units (LGUs), following the Department of Education’s (DepEd) criticism of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) over its “very deplorable performance” and persistent delays in building classrooms.

The move marks a significant policy shift in the decades-old setup that had given the DPWH exclusive authority over classroom construction.

The decision effectively sidelines the department’s long-held mandate after years of low completion rates and amid allegations of corruption.

“The President wants the classroom shortage to be addressed as soon as possible for the benefit of the students. Slow action is not acceptable…,” Palace press officer Claire Castro said in a press briefing on Oct. 22.

DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara also stated that the DepEd aims to break away from the current setup that limits classroom construction to the DPWH, as the department’s slow implementation has worsened the backlog in basic education facilities.

“Gusto… naming baguhin ang sistema. Kasi… DPWH lang ang may kapangyarihang gumawa ng…classroms. Ang gusto namin, pati LGUs, pwede na rin. Sa tingin ko, mas bibilis… ang proseso,” Angara said in an official statement.

Angara added that capable local government units, provincial governments, cities, and even first-class and second-class municipalities should also build their own classrooms to expedite the process.

DepEd is also planning an accreditation system to ensure that only qualified LGUs and organizations will handle projects while maintaining national standards for safety, design, and cost.

This follows the DPWH’s admission of completing only 22 out of 1,700 targeted classrooms for 2025.

DepEd attributed the DPWH’s slow construction pace to the latter’s “heavy workload,” as it is also responsible for planning, design, construction, and maintenance of all government infrastructure, including roads and bridges, flood control systems, water resource development projects, and other public works.

This setback has further compounded the classroom shortage, which is already aggravated by separate allegations of irregularities in the agency’s multi-billion-peso flood control projects

With only two months left in the year, 882 projects were still ongoing, and another 882 had not yet been started.

“Mukhang nawili sila doon sa flood control… (at) parang hindi na naging priority ‘yung pagtayo ng classrooms,” Angara said, commenting on the agency’s allocation of funds.

DepEd is proposing a landmark ₱912 billion budget for 2026, with approximately ₱63 billion dedicated to the Basic Education Facilities Fund (BEEF) to enhance classroom construction.

The department is also seeking “flexibility” in its use of funds so that projects can also be implemented by itself, LGUs, military engineering brigades, and through public-private partnerships (PPP).

Castro added that DepEd and DPWH, alongside LGUs, will sign a memorandum of agreement (MOA) to formalize the shift in responsibilities.

Under the plan, funds will be directly distributed to LGUs, with DPWH and DepEd retaining oversight roles to ensure compliance and monitor implementation as the government aims to build at least 2,370 classrooms under the new system.

Marcos earlier vowed to build 40,000 classrooms before the end of his term in 2028, calling the shortage “a national urgency” that must be addressed through collaboration beyond the bureaucracy.