BACOLOD City — The Bacolod City Government has formalized its commitment to construct additional classrooms after Mayor Greg Gasataya signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Department of Education at Malacañang Palace on February 23.
The agreement forms part of the national government’s intensified efforts to address the country’s classroom shortage and improve learning environments in public schools.
“In line with the efforts of the national government to close classroom gaps nationwide, we personally signed a MOA this afternoon [February 23] at Malacañang Palace with the DepEd to build more classrooms in Bacolod City,” Gasataya said in a social media post.
He emphasized that education remains one of the city’s top priorities, noting that the local government will continue to push for quality and accessible learning opportunities for every Bacolodnon learner.
According to the Presidential Communications Office, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday formalized the second batch of partnerships between DepEd and various city local government units (LGUs) under the Nationwide Classroom Building Program.
“Every classroom we build gives our children a better future,” Marcos said.
The program aims to fast-track the construction, rehabilitation, and repair of school buildings across the country. As of January 2026, the nationwide classroom shortage is estimated at 144,758 units.
“We cannot wait for decades or years to give every student a safe and conducive classroom for effective learning,” the President added.
The initiative is backed by substantial funding under the 2026 General Appropriations Act, which earmarks P85.4 billion for Basic Education Facilities. Of this amount, P9.6 billion is allocated for the construction of approximately 4,000 classrooms under the first tranche, while an additional P5.96 billion will fund around 1,700 more classrooms through the newly signed agreements.
To ensure transparency and accountability, the program includes strict measures such as tranche-based fund releases, the establishment of dedicated trust accounts, and mandatory monthly and quarterly reporting to DepEd.
Beyond infrastructure development, the administration is also pursuing complementary reforms in the education sector, including the expansion of the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program, accelerated procurement of learning materials, and improved career progression pathways for teachers.
With Bacolod now included in the latest batch of LGUs under the program, city officials expressed optimism that the additional classrooms will help decongest public schools and provide students with safer and more conducive spaces for learning./PN
