ILOILO City – In a major push to address the country’s 145,000-classroom backlog, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with local government units (LGUs) nationwide to accelerate school building construction, tapping P9.6 billion in initial funds to roll out 4,000 new classrooms under the first tranche of the program.
Western Visayas governors joined the signing ceremony at the Heroes Hall in Malacañang on February 11, signaling the region’s commitment to help close learning facility gaps that continue to strain public schools.
The agreement, led by President Marcos and Education Secretary Sonny Angara, strengthens the partnership between the Department of Education (DepEd) and LGUs to fast-track classroom construction and cut bureaucratic delays.
Of the P9.6-billion initial allocation, P4.1 billion will fund around 1,200 classrooms to be constructed by provincial governments, while over P5 billion will cover 2,800 pre-fabricated classrooms to be delivered by DepEd.
President Marcos said empowering LGUs in procurement and construction would ensure faster project completion, with DepEd retaining oversight of standards and funding.
“For students, it means classrooms will be completed sooner. For our teachers, it translates to a safer, a more conducive environment that they can teach in. And for parents, this gives them peace of mind, knowing that their children are learning in better facilities,” President Marcos said.
The initiative is backed by P85.39 billion under the 2026 General Appropriations Act earmarked for basic education facilities.
Iloilo commits local funds
Among those present were Iloilo’s Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr., Guimaras’ Gov. Ma. Lucille Nava, Capiz’s Gov. Fredenil Castro, and Aklan’s Gov. Jose Enrique Miraflores.
In Iloilo, the partnership complements the province’s Bulig Eskwela sang Probinsya (BES Probins) program, which prioritizes typhoon-resilient classrooms and the replacement of makeshift learning spaces.
During the 2025 Iloilo Provincial Education Summit, Defensor cited DepEd data showing a shortage of 1,655 classrooms in the province, with 7,279 more requiring major repairs.
The governor committed P600 million from the province’s Special Education Fund (SEF) for classroom construction and repairs.
From 2022 to 2025, the provincial government has already invested P355 million in building and rehabilitating classrooms, including 29 typhoon-resilient structures and temporary facilities, said Defensor.
With the DepEd-LGU MOA in place, Iloilo is now positioned to tap both national and local resources to accelerate classroom construction.
Regional alignment
For Guimaras, Nava’s participation ensures alignment with national education initiatives under her Kabataan FIRST 2.0 Development Agenda, which underscores safer and more conducive learning environments.
Miraflores, meanwhile, underscored Aklan’s readiness to take a lead role in school infrastructure.
“By combining national guidance with local action, we can fast-track projects, maintain transparency, and deliver classrooms that truly meet the needs of our learners. As Governor, I am committed to working closely with DepEd to make these projects a reality,” Miraflores said.
Antique’s Gov. Paolo Javier was not present as he led the 40th death anniversary commemoration of the late Gov. Evelio Javier in the provincial capital town of San Jose de Buenavista./PN
